Windows Update

Windows Update is a feature found in Microsoft Windows (after Windows 98) that lets the user update their copy of Windows. The Windows Update website can only be used with Internet Explorer.

Windows Update

Windows Update on Windows 10
Other names	Microsoft Update
Developer(s)	Microsoft
Operating system	Windows 9x family Windows NT family
Included with	Windows 9x and later
Service name	Windows Update
Type	Network service
Website	support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-update-faq

It also allows updates to the definitions file of Windows Defender and to the Junk Mail filter in Windows Mail.

Microsoft Update

Microsoft Update is a feature in Windows Update that provides updates not only for Windows but also other Microsoft software (such as Microsoft Office).^[1]

History

Windows Update first became part of Windows with the launch of Windows 98. Since then, the Windows Update service has gone through many updates.

With the release of Windows Me, a feature called Automatic Updates was added, which allowed updates to be installed in the background.

In Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7, instead of using the Windows Update website, users received updates through a built-in application.

With the release of Windows 10, Windows Update became more integrated with the operating system, introducing cumulative updates and mandatory security updates for some editions.

In Windows 11, Microsoft introduced smaller and faster update packages, alongside machine learning to optimize installation times.

In Windows Server 2025, Microsoft added a hotpatching option, allowing certain security updates to be installed without requiring a reboot.

Recent developments

In August 2025, Microsoft released update KB5063709 for Windows 10, enabling enrollment in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which extends support through October 2026.^[2]

Microsoft also began improving dark mode consistency across Windows 11, fixing long-standing issues in system dialog boxes such as file copy and delete prompts.^[3]

In the same month, Microsoft changed the Microsoft Store update system, removing the option to permanently disable automatic app updates. Users may now only pause updates for a maximum of five weeks, after which updates resume automatically.^[4]