This month’s Patch Tuesday cycle marks the beginning of a new update servicing model for Windows 7 and 8.1 computers, as Microsoft is switching to rollups for more effective delivery and deployment of security and non-security updates.
Beginning October 11, the update rollout for Windows 7 and 8.1 is split into two different parts taking place monthly on the second and the third Tuesday, respectively.
Updates shipping on second and third Tuesday every month
First of all, it’s the typical Patch Tuesday cycle that brings a security-only update and a security monthly rollup.
The security-only update is a single update that includes all new security updates for that month, but what’s important to note is that this isn’t shipped via Windows Update, but only on Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). This makes it possible for IT admins to get the security patches and deploy them on enterprise systems easily.
The security monthly rollup is also shipped through Windows Update and includes all new security fixes for that month, plus security fixes that were released before. This is similar to the cumulative updates for Windows 10 that Microsoft releases every month, so installing the latest rollup always brings a computer fully up-to-date.
A second update cycle will take place on the third Tuesday of each month (one week after Patch Tuesday) when Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers are getting non-security fixes. These are previews of fixes that will be included in the next monthly rollup and will be published on WSUS, Windows Update, and Windows Update Catalog.
Microsoft says that this new approach should help ensure smoother delivery of Windows updates on older Windows versions, making it easier for users and IT admins to install them all at once. Additionally, the cumulative model makes it possible to keep computers fully up-to-date more effectively, as all patches can be deployed at once.
