Service Pack and Update Center

Get the latest update for Windows 10

Windows 10 automatically downloads and installs updates to make sure your device is secure and up to date. This means you receive the latest fixes and security updates, helping your device run efficiently and stay protected.

Though updates are downloaded and installed automatically, they may not be available on all devices at the same time—we’re making sure updates are ready and compatible.

To check for updates manually, select the Start button, then select Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update >, and then select Check for updates.

A service pack (SP) is a Windows update, often combining previously released updates, that helps make Windows more reliable. Service packs can include security and performance improvements and support for new types of hardware. Make sure you install the latest service pack to help keep Windows up to date. Service packs take about 30 minutes to install, and you’ll need to restart your computer about halfway through the installation.

The recommended (and easiest) way to get updates such as service packs is to turn on Windows Update for Windows 8.1 and let Windows notify you when the updates you need are ready to install.

A service pack (SP) is a Windows update, often combining previously released updates, that helps make Windows more reliable. Service packs, which are provided free of charge on this page, can include security and performance improvements and support for new types of hardware. Make sure you install the latest service pack to help keep Windows up to date. Service packs take about 30 minutes to install, and you’ll need to restart your computer about halfway through the installation.

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020

We recommend you move to a Windows 10 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft.

The latest service pack for Windows 7 is Service Pack 1 (SP1). Learn how to get SP1.

Support for Windows 7 RTM (without SP1) ended on April 9, 2013.

Windows 10 update history

Windows 10, version 1909 and Windows Server, version 1909

Updates for Windows 10, version 1909 and Windows Server, version 1909

Windows 10 is a service, which means it gets better through periodic software updates.

The great news is you usually don’t have to do anything! If you have enabled automatic updates, new updates will automatically download and install whenever they’re available, so you don’t have to think about it.

On the left side of this page, you’ll find a list of all the updates released for this version of Windows. You can also find more information about releases and any known issues. Installing the most recent update ensures that you also get any previous updates you might have missed, including any important security fixes.

For more information about the update and how to get it, see:

What’s new for Windows 10, version 1909 and Windows 10, version 1903 release notes

Windows 10, versions 1903 and 1909 share a common core operating system and an identical set of system files. As a result, the new features in Windows 10, version 1909 were included in the recent monthly quality update for Windows 10, version 1903 (released October 8, 2019), but are currently in a dormant state. These new features will remain dormant until they are turned on using an enablement package, which is a small, quick-to-install “master switch” that simply activates the Windows 10, version 1909 features.

To reflect this change, the release notes for Windows 10, version 1903 and Windows 10, version 1909 will share an update history page. Each release page will contain a list of addressed issues for both 1903 and 1909 versions. Note that the 1909 version will always contain the fixes for 1903; however, 1903 will not contain the fixes for 1909. This page will provide you with the build numbers for both 1909 and 1903 versions so that it will be easier for support to assist you if you encounter issues.

For more details about the enablement package and how to get the feature update, see the Windows 10, version 1909 delivery options blog.

Current status of Windows 10, version 1909 and Windows Server, version 1909

For the most up-to-date information about Known Issues for Windows and Windows Server, please go to the Windows release health dashboard.

Notes and messages

General

IMPORTANT Release notes are changing! To learn about the new URL, metadata updates, and more, see What’s next for Windows release notes.

IMPORTANT Starting in July 2020, we will resume non-security releases for Windows 10 and Windows Server, version 1809 and later. There is no change to the cumulative monthly security updates (also referred to as the «B» release or Update Tuesday release). For more information, see the blog post Resuming optional Windows 10 and Windows Server non-security monthly updates.

IMPORTANT Starting in July 2020, all Windows Updates will disable the RemoteFX vGPU feature because of a security vulnerability. For more information about the vulnerability, seeCVE-2020-1036 and KB4570006. After you install this update, attempts to start virtual machines (VM) that have RemoteFX vGPU enabled will fail, and messages such as the following will appear:

If you re-enable RemoteFX vGPU, a message similar to the following will appear:

“The virtual machine cannot be started because all the RemoteFX-capable GPUs are disabled in Hyper-V Manager.”

“The virtual machine cannot be started because the server has insufficient GPU resources.”

«We no longer support the RemoteFX 3D video adapter. If you are still using this adapter, you may become vulnerable to security risk. Learn more (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2131976)”

What’s new for Windows 10, version 1909 and Windows 10, version 1903 release notes

Windows 10, versions 1903 and 1909 share a common core operating system and an identical set of system files. As a result, the new features in Windows 10, version 1909 were included in the recent monthly quality update for Windows 10, version 1903 (released October 8, 2019), but are currently in a dormant state. These new features will remain dormant until they are turned on using an enablement package, which is a small, quick-to-install “master switch” that simply activates the Windows 10, version 1909 features.

To reflect this change, the release notes for Windows 10, version 1903 and Windows 10, version 1909 will share an update history page. Each release page will contain a list of addressed issues for both 1903 and 1909 versions. Note that the 1909 version will always contain the fixes for 1903; however, 1903 will not contain the fixes for 1909. This page will provide you with the build numbers for both 1909 and 1903 versions so that it will be easier for support to assist you if you encounter issues.

For more details about the enablement package and how to get the feature update, see the Windows 10, version 1909 delivery options blog.

Troubleshooting

If you have questions or need help activating or troubleshooting Windows, see our help topics below:

For information about how to update, see Update Windows 10.

If you have questions about manually installing or removing an update, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Getting an error message when updating? See Troubleshoot problems updating Windows 10.

If you need to activate Windows, see Activation in Windows 10. If you’re having trouble with activation, see Get help with Windows activation errors.

To get the latest major update to Windows 10, see Get the Windows 10 November 2019 Update.

Latest Windows Service Packs and Updates

An updated list of the latest Windows service packs and major updates

Microsoft regularly releases major updates to its Windows operating systems.

Formerly, those updates pushed through comprehensive service packs, but more often these days, they’re semi-regular and significant updates through Windows Update.

In fact, in Windows 10 and Windows 8, the service pack, as we know it from previous versions of Windows, is essentially a dead idea. Much like updates on your smartphone, Microsoft is continually adding major features through automatic patching.

Latest Major Updates to Windows 10

As of April 2021, the last major update to Windows 10 is Windows 10 Version 20H2, referred to as the Windows 10 October 2020 Update. This update began rolling out on October 20, 2020.

Updating is automatic through Windows Update.

You can read more about the individual fixes and improvements on Microsoft’s What’s New in Windows 10 Version 20H2.

Latest Major Updates to Windows 8

As of April 2021, the latest major update for Windows 8 is the confusingly named Windows 8.1 Update.

If you’ve already updated to Windows 8.1, the easiest way to update to Windows 8.1 Update is through Windows Update. See instructions for manually installing Windows 8.1 Update in the Download Windows 8.1 Update section of our Windows 8.1 Update Facts piece.

If you’re not already running Windows 8.1, see How to Update to Windows 8.1 for detailed instructions on applying the Windows 8.1 update. When that’s done, update to Windows 8.1 Update through Windows Update.

Microsoft isn’t planning another big update to Windows 8, like a Windows 8.2 or Windows 8.1 Update 2. New features, if available, will instead be pushed through updates on Patch Tuesday.

Latest Microsoft Windows Service Packs (Windows 7, Vista, XP)

The most recent Windows 7 service pack is SP1, but a Convenience Rollup for Windows 7 SP1 (basically an otherwise-named Windows 7 SP2) is also available which installs all patches between the release of SP1 (February 22, 2011) through April 12, 2016.

The latest service packs for other versions of Microsoft Windows include Windows Vista SP2, Windows XP SP3, and Windows 2000 SP4.

In the table below are links that take you directly to the latest Microsoft Windows service packs and major updates for each operating system. These updates are free.

The easiest way to install the latest Windows service pack or update is to run Windows Update.

Download Links for Windows Updates & Service Packs
Operating System	Service Pack / Update	Size (MB)	Download
Windows 7	Convenience Rollup (April 2016) 2	316.0	32-bit
Convenience Rollup (April 2016) 2	476.9	64-bit
SP1 (windows6.1-KB976932-X86.exe)	541.9	32-bit
SP1 (windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe)	912.4	64-bit
Windows Vista 3	SP2	475.5	32-bit
SP2	745.2	64-bit
Windows XP	SP3 4	316.4	32-bit
SP2 5	350.9	64-bit
Windows 2000	SP4	588 (KB)	32-bit

_{[1] Beginning in Windows 8, Microsoft began releasing regular, major updates to Windows 8. Service packs will not be released.
[2] Windows 7 SP1 and the April 2015 Servicing Stack Update both must be installed prior to installing the Convenience Rollup.
[3] Windows Vista SP2 can only be installed if you already have Windows Vista SP1 installed, which you can download here for both 32-bit 64-bit version.
[4] Windows XP SP3 can only be installed if you already have Windows XP SP1a or Windows XP SP2 installed. If you do not have one or the other of those service packs installed, install SP1, available here, before trying to install Windows XP SP3.
[5] Windows XP Professional is the only 64-bit version of Windows XP and the latest service pack released for the operating system is SP2.}

How to patch on Windows?

Given a (source) patch file, what’s the easiest way to apply this patch on the source files under Windows?

A GUI tool where I can visually compare the unchanged-changed source lines would be great.

4 Answers 4

Patch for Windows is what you’re looking for.

Thanks to Macke, a good way to apply a patch file under Windows OS is using Git. As I understood, Git is a version control solution like SVN.

Here is a guideline to apply a patch :

• First of all, download the latest release of the Windows Git Edition here : GIT
• With the cmd prompt, change directory to the patch file and files to patch
• Now you can use the following command line :

Thank you Macke

Not that since Git 2.3.3 (March 2015), you can use git apply —unsafe-paths to use git apply outside a git repo.

» git apply » was not very careful about reading from, removing, updating and creating paths outside the working tree (under —index / —cached ) or the current directory (when used as a replacement for GNU patch).

The documentation now includes:

By default, a patch that affects outside the working area (either a Git controlled working tree, or the current working directory when » git apply » is used as a replacement of GNU patch) is rejected as a mistake (or a mischief).

When git apply is used as a «better GNU patch», the user can pass the —unsafe-paths option to override this safety check.
This option has no effect when —index or —cached is in use.

So if you have git installed, git apply could help, even outside of any git repo.

4 Tools to Update Windows Offline and install Hotfixes from a Local Source

How often do you install a clean version of a Windows operating system either for yourself or somebody else? Although a lot of users are sensible and make full backups of their system using either disk imaging software or something like the Windows 7 System image function, there is sometimes no option but to reinstall because it can’t be avoided. Hardware failures, viruses, or even computers with poor performing or highly abused operating systems are all reasons to have to wipe the old system and start again. Some users even install their operating system regularly to keep it clean and running at maximum performance.

Whether you’re installing a new Windows by choice or by necessity, you will soon be pretty sick of wasting hours downloading all the hotfixes from Windows Update and continuously downloading patch after patch. Having just installed Windows 7 to see how many updates are available for the most popular version of Windows, it’s quite shocking to see it has 117 important updates ready to be downloaded! And that obviously doesn’t include recommended updates like the multitude of newer .NET Framework patches and subsequent updates after you install software like Internet Explorer 9 or 10 etc.

One solution is to use a slipstreaming application like nLite to integrate hotfixes into the install disc, but even these become outdated every month after the latest round of hotfixes. If waiting for all the updates to install doesn’t appeal, an alternative is to have a program store and automatically install the updates for you from a USB stick or external hard drive. While it isn’t as quick as a slipstreamed disc, this method is an awful lot quicker than waiting for everything to be downloaded and installed from the internet, and can be left to it while you go and do something else. Here are 4 applications that can do exactly that, you can even run them on a currently installed Windows to bring it up to date.

AutoPatcher has been around for several years and used to be distributed as a huge executable file that included all the update patches inside. After complaints from Microsoft in 2007, it was modified to download and distribute the patches direct from Microsoft’s own servers. AutoPatcher isn’t just a tool to apply Windows hotfixes though. Besides being able to install critical and recommended Windows updates, it can also do the same for Microsoft Office and install a number of extras such as the Office add-on pack, Adobe Flash and Reader, JAVA, the .NET Framework and Visual C++ patches.

The package itself is split into 2 modules, the updater module (apup.exe) is where you select and download the chosen update packages, and the Patcher module (Autopatcher.exe) which you run to select the updates and addons to install on the unpatched system. Make sure to select and download the latest AutoPatcher program, engine and common module updates as the patch installer module gets downloaded in the engine update.

Tick everything you want and click Next to start downloading. When all the required updates are downloaded, simply take the whole folder on a flash drive or hard drive to the target computer, or find the network drive, and run AutoPatcher.exe. After a few EULA screens and a file integrity check, the options screen will be displayed where the available updates and extras can be chosen for install. Critical or important patches will be ticked already, those in blue are currently installed on your system and don’t need selecting unless there is a specific need to do so.

Click the button and then wait for AutoPatcher to install all the updates you have selected. To use AutoPatcher all you need on your operating system is the latest service pack to be able to install hotfix updates as it doesn’t support older Service Pack installs. SP3 for XP, SP2 for Vista and SP1 for Windows 7. Windows 8 isn’t supported yet although there is talk in their forum of implementing it in the future. You don’t need a clean install either, even the latest up to date Windows can still install any other add ons or extras that aren’t currently installed. This is an essential tool to save serious amounts of time and effort.

2. WSUS Offline Update

Formally called c’t Update, WSUS Offline Update is another tool that can update a number of Windows operating systems to the latest patches, and also keep nearly all versions of Microsoft Office up to date too. Although like Autopatcher in a lot of ways, there’s also some differences. WSUS Offline Update can update any Windows revision and doesn’t rely on it having the latest Service Pack installed. This can be a great help as lots of computers still don’t have XP Service Pack 3 or Vista Service Pack 2 installed which makes Autopatcher unusable until they’re updated. It can also download and install updates for several different languages so you’re not restricted to just English.

After downloading, extracting and running the UpdateGenerator.exe, tick the boxes to select the operating system versions, Office versions and languages you require. Everything is split over 3 tabs called Windows, Office and Legacy products which includes Windows XP and Office 2003 as support for them ends in 2014. Some of the Options are very useful such as whether to download Service Packs, and whether to include Microsoft Security Essentials or Defender definitions in the package. The inclusion of C++ Runtimes and .NET Frameworks is also optional but leaving them included will be a BIG time saver.

Something else WSUS Offline Update can do is write the update package to an ISO image which can be burned to CD/DVD/Blu-ray. Great for older systems or if you don’t have the right sized USB flash drive handy. Alternatively choose the USB medium option to copy the updates onto a USB flash or hard drive. Once you press Start, a Command Prompt window will open and begin downloading the files from Microsoft, the wait could be long if you’ve selected multiple options.