Microsoft Gives Windows 10 Its Penultimate Update - But Saves The Best For Windows 11

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• September's Patch Tuesday offers bug fixes for Windows 10 and 11.
• Windows 11 besides received a big of caller and improved features.
• This marks nan penultimate Patch Tuesday update for Windows 10.

Hey Windows users, it's clip erstwhile again to instal nan latest monthly updates connected your PC, courtesy of September's Patch Tuesday. Whether you tally Windows 11 aliases are still connected Windows 10, you'll find important characteristic and information fixes that should beryllium applied. Otherwise, Microsoft is intelligibly focusing much connected Windows 11 arsenic its only officially supported OS travel Oct. 14.

How to instal September update

To instal nan September update, conscionable caput to Settings. In Windows 10, prime Update & security, and past click Windows Update. In Windows 11, simply prime Windows Update. Since nan Patch Tuesday updates are required, nan installation should footwear disconnected automatically. If not, click nan fastener to Check for updates to get started.

Also: How to upgrade an 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - 2 free options

Windows 10 users will person a cumulative update dubbed KB5065429, while those connected Windows 11 will spot KB5065426 installed connected their systems. After nan updates person finished, conscionable reboot your PC and you'll beryllium backmost successful business.

What do Microsoft's updates offer? 

Let's commencement pinch nan accustomed bug fixes. Across Windows 10 and 11, nan patches squash a full of 81 information flaws. Among these are 2 zero-day vulnerabilities, arsenic reported by spot guidance supplier Action1.

Labeled CVE-2025-55234, nan first zero-day affects nan Windows Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, which allows PCs to pass pinch different PCs, files, printers, and definite web resources. Here, improper authentication could let an attacker to intercept credentials betwixt different services. Though this flaw is of interest mostly to endeavor environments, location users will want to spot this arsenic well.

Also: Microsoft said these 400 readers couldn't upgrade to Windows 11. They did it anyway

Named CVE-2024-21907, this 2nd zero-day is an older 1 that besides mostly affects organizations. This flaw impacts a circumstantial open-source .NET room done which attackers could origin work disruptions and failures.

The remainder of nan information vulnerabilities impact a scope of products and services, including Windows graphics and imaging, Windows Hyper-V, and Microsoft Office. Whether you tally Windows 10 aliases 11 successful a location aliases endeavor setting, location are capable fixes successful this batch to amended unafraid your system, astatine slightest until nan adjacent information of information issues are discovered.

Beyond nan information flaws, nan Patch Tuesday updates resoluteness problems pinch a number of Windows features.

In 1 case, non-admin users would person unexpected User Account Control (UAC) prompts pinch definite types of installers. In another, nan Windows Search pane would neglect to correctly show nan preview pane. In a third, audio casted to a TV would initially play but past extremity aft a fewer seconds. These and respective different glitches person each been fixed.

With official support ending adjacent month, Windows 10 received only bug and characteristic fixes connected Tuesday. This marks nan penultimate Patch Tuesday update for nan 10-year-old operating system. One much awesome update awaits connected Oct. 14, which is nan aforesaid time that support ends.

Also: I ever instal these 5 free apps connected each Windows PC - here's why they're essential

After that date, Windows 10 users who want to proceed to person information patches will either person to upgrade to Windows 11 aliases motion up for Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU), which guarantee information updates for different year. To snag ESU, you tin salary for a subscription, redeem Microsoft points, aliases usage nan built-in Windows Backup tool to backmost up and sync your Windows 10 settings to nan cloud.

To nary surprise, Microsoft paid greater attraction to Windows 11 this month, rolling retired not conscionable fixes and patches but caller and improved features. Here are a fewer of them.

On Copilot+ PCs, nan Recall feature now opens to a personalized location page that shows you caller activity and often utilized apps and websites. You tin besides group filters to power which apps and sites are saved via a snapshot. Plus, a caller navigation barroom offers easier entree to nan Home, Timeline, Feedback, and Settings screens. Further, opening Click to Do for nan first clip kicks disconnected an interactive tutorial that explains really to usage nan characteristic to tally commands connected some matter and images.

The Windows taskbar now displays a larger timepiece pinch seconds successful nan notification center. Also successful nan taskbar, nan hunt instrumentality alerts you to nan position of your hunt while it's running. In File Explorer, dividers now abstracted top-level icons successful nan discourse paper truthful you tin spot them much easily.

Also: How to instal Windows 11 your measurement (and debar Microsoft's restrictions)

The Windows Hello authentication surface has a much modern and cleaner creation pinch an accent connected passkeys. The process for mounting up and utilizing a passkey is besides now easier and much intuitive, according to Microsoft.

And location are improvements to nan Windows 11 Settings screen.

Windows activation and expiration prompts now lucifer nan Windows 11 creation truthful they look much integrated. You tin now caput to nan Text and Image Generation surface nether Privacy & information to spot which third-party apps person precocious utilized generative AI models provided by Windows. And connected Copilot+ PCs, nan supplier successful Settings tin thief you quickly find and alteration circumstantial settings. Initially disposable only for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, nan supplier now supports AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs.

"Windows 10 updates this rhythm attraction solely connected information fixes and bug resolutions, pinch nary caller features, reflecting Microsoft's emblematic attack for operating systems nearing end-of-life," Mike Walters, President and Co-founder, Action1, told ZDNET. "In contrast, Windows 11 updates see nan aforesaid information patches on pinch awesome characteristic enhancements. Users are seeing improvements successful AI integration, Windows Hello authentication, a redesigned File Explorer, and expanded Settings options. This opposition underscores Microsoft's attraction connected Windows 11 arsenic its level for innovation, while Windows 10 shifts into attraction mode."

What should you do pinch Windows 10 PCs?

With Windows 10 nearing extremity of support, what should organizations do pinch their existing PCs? 

Walters offers immoderate proposal worthy considering.

"Organizations pinch hardware compatible pinch Windows 11 should powerfully see upgrading earlier nan October deadline to return advantage of ongoing characteristic improvements," Walters said. "The enhanced information architecture of Windows 11, including improved virtualization-based information and much robust default protections, provides meaningful information advantages complete Windows 10, moreover pinch ESU patches applied. ESU should beryllium viewed arsenic a impermanent span alternatively than a semipermanent strategy, arsenic costs emergence successful consequent years."

Also: 40+ Windows keyboard shortcuts that efficaciously improved my activity productivity

And location users?

"Home users look a much straightforward decision, arsenic nan ESU programme is chiefly targeted astatine endeavor customers," Walters added. "Individual Windows 10 users should prioritize upgrading to Windows 11 wherever hardware allows, aliases see replacing incompatible systems, arsenic moving an unsupported operating strategy without information updates poses a important risk."