Microsoft is quietly releasing a new service pack-like update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. The update is huge as a service pack, it weighs in at 723.9 MB and Microsoft describes it as KB3000850 and by my count it fixes 60 different issues in the latest version of Windows.
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Get security updates for Windows 8.1 until 2026!
This update was released on November 18th, which is interestingly not Patch Tuesday, and is classified as an optional update.
Here's what's included in update KB3000850: The November rollout is an update that includes all previous updates since the last major Windows 8 update in April 2014. So technically it's a service pack, but unlike the April update, the November rollout isn't required to continue receiving Windows updates. The update not only brings all clients and servers up to the latest version of the operating system, but also installs new features and improvements since April. Unlike a service pack, Microsoft notes that this new update doesn't change the version number of the operating system and doesn't deprecate or change any APIs.
It's worth noting that this update is for Windows 8.1-based systems. You'll still need to upgrade your Windows 8.0 to 8.1 to install this new rollout. (For a full list of changes, see this Microsoft link.)
