A couple optional updates wafted through the Windows Update machine yesterday. For Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 users the update is KB3112336. For Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 users the update is KB3112343.
This is not the first time we’ve seen updates like this. Even before Windows 10 was available to the masses in July, Microsoft had been trying to provide updates to for Windows users to ensure an upgrade to Windows 10 would be seamless and less painful. And, this seems to be the subject of the day more and more, as Microsoft has taken an approach with its operating systems that is akin to delivering a car without one of its wheels. Nothing is ever complete and perfect. When you get right down to it, that’s really always been the case with software, but Microsoft is now admitting it and embracing it whole-heartedly. Microsoft isn’t the only one to do this (some Google products, for example, bore “beta” in the name for years – some still do), but it’s becoming more commonplace.
So, Microsoft is still trying. Windows 10 is rumored to be installed on 148 million PCs now, but that’s a drop in the bucket toward the 1 billion goal. To reach the goal, the upgrade has to work. I’ve seen a couple cases on social networks just today where one of these updates has allowed Windows 10 to be installed when it couldn’t before. So, Microsoft is getting closer.
As for the description of what the updates will do? The one for Windows 8.1/Server 2012 R2 does this…
This update enables support for additional upgrade scenarios from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, and provides a smoother experience when you have to retry an operating system upgrade because of certain failure conditions. This update also improves the ability of Microsoft to monitor the quality of the upgrade experience.
Some may take offense to the last sentence in the statement, particularly for those worried about the whole Microsoft privacy hubbub. But, to be honest, if not for this capability, this new update would not exist and a segment of customers wouldn’t be able to upgrade.
The update for Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 provides the same capabilities as the other, but goes one further to fix an issue caused by the Windows Update Client from June 2015. The June client update caused issues with Configuration Manager 2007 R2 where applicable Windows updates were getting mislabeled and missed.
