Cumulative Updates for Windows 7 and 8.1

Individual updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will no longer be available and will be replaced by new monthly rollups and security-only updates. The new process will also apply to Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2.

Types of Updates for Windows

On Aug. 15, 2016, Microsoft announced that going forward it would no longer release individual patches for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Instead, on patch Tuesday, which occurs on the second, or “B,” week of the month, Microsoft will release the following:

• A security-only quality update—a single update containing all the new security fixes for the month
• A security monthly quality rollup (also called the monthly rollup)—a single update containing all new security fixes for the month, and the security and nonsecurity fixes from all previous monthly rollups.

Like the previously separate patches, the security-only quality update and the monthly rollup will be published to Windows Server Update Services, System Center Configuration Manager, and the Microsoft Update catalog. (The Microsoft Update catalog is a Web site with all released patches; it has been updated to no longer require an ActiveX control and work with any browser.) They will also be available from the Microsoft downloads site. The security-only quality update will not be available through Windows Update. The monthly rollup will be available through Windows Update to most Windows users. The first release of both the security-only quality update and the monthly rollup occurred on Oct. 11, 2016.