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Windows patch notes
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Some security updates appear to be missing: why?
When looking down the release dates for Windows, you may notice that some months have no listing. The exact causes for missing months can vary, but there are generally four main reasons:
- Earlier patches have been included in a Service Pack. When Windows XP Service Pack 3 was finalised in April 2008, all individual patches included with this service pack were removed from this site. This means you will no longer need to download the ridiculous number of patches released between 2001 and 2008. All up, there are over 1000 fixes included in Windows XP SP3. Likewise Vista SP1 includes updates and fixes released in 2007, through to early 2008.
- Microsoft did not release any security patches for a particular operating system in that month.
- Patches were superseded by newer releases.
- Some patches were released, but they are not needed if you have the latest service pack installed (in other words, they only apply to earlier Service Packs and the latest Service Pack doesn't need those particular updates).
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Months with no patches for Windows XP or Vista:
- March 2008 - there were no patches released for Windows Vista.
What Windows updates should I download?
Our view is simple when it comes to Windows patches: you update to the latest service pack, then install any updates that are subsequently released. This is why there are no Windows XP updates listed prior to April 2008. Windows XP SP3 was released in April 2008 and this included every patch that had been released until this time. Likewise Windows Vista SP1 includes all patches up to, and including, the January 2008 security fixes. In other words, you must install security updates from February 2008 onwards for Vista SP1, and April 2008 onwards for Windows XP SP3.
To make everything a little more complicated, sometimes Microsoft will upgrade a component of Windows. For example, if you have Windows XP, there are six different versions of Media Player that can run on your system (versions 6.4, 7, 8, 9,10,11) and each had its own collection of patches. Our view is that you should upgrade to the latest release of the program and patch that version. This is why there are no listings for patches affecting earlier versions of Media Player (only version 11 is listed on this site). If you decide not to upgrade to the latest release of a Windows component, you must still patch the program in order to maintain a secure system. In these cases, you will need consult Microsoft for further details. In a nutshell: upgrade to the latest version, then patch it.
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The order of installing patches should be:
- Download and install the latest service pack (SP3 for Windows XP, SP1 for Vista)
- Apply any other patches in the order that were released since the Service Pack, starting with the oldest patch. For Windows XP, this is April 2008, for Vista this is February 2008.
- Upgrade software included with Windows to the latest releases. For Windows XP this includes: Media Player 11, Internet Explorer 7, DirectX 9.0c.
- Download optional updates if needed - these patches are not critical to security, but generally improve Windows or fix a specific error. If you don't need the new feature or the error doesn't affect you, there is no real reason to download the file. On the other hand, most optional updates can be downloaded if you are uncertain.
- Important: to ensure you have all the needed patches and they are properly installed, you should run a scan of your system using Microsoft's Windows Update - this is the only way to check that you have all the needed patches.
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Finally: patches are listed on this site as a convenience to visitors. We cannot guarantee that they are free of omissions or errors. To ensure a secure system, you will need to follow Microsoft's instructions for updating and maintaining a Windows system. More information can be found at Microsoft.com.
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Updates & patches