Today, Microsoft is set to make available a few updates for various Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server. Of the updates, there is a non-security update for Windows 8 and Windows RT which addresses “issues in Windows.”
“Install this update to resolve issues in Windows. For a complete listing of the issues that are included in this update, see the associated Microsoft Knowledge Base article for more information. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer,” Microsoft explained regarding update KB2794599, which addresses Windows 8 and Windows RT. This update deals with font issues that come up after refreshing your Windows installation. This update weighs 647KB for Windows 8, 904KB for Windows 8 64bit and Windows Server 2012 64bit, while the Windows RT update weighs in at 722KB.
In addition to this update, there is also a “platform update” for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (KB2670838), which also “resolve issues in Windows.” This update is considered a “feature pack” and weighs a little over 5.5MB for Windows 7 32bit and 11.5MB for Windows 7 64bit. This update seems to be a pre-req for Internet Explorer 10, which is set for release on Windows 7 very soon. The update improves the features and performace of Direct2D, DirectWrite, Direct3D, Windows Imaging Component (WIC), Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform (WARP), Windows Animation Manager (WAM), XPS Document API, H.264 Video Decoder, and JPEG XR codec.
There is also an “Update Rollup” for Windows Server 2012 Essentials (KB2781267) as well as a “System Update Readiness Tool” for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Vista (KB947821). “This tool is being offered because an inconsistency was found in the Windows servicing store which may prevent the successful installation of future updates, service packs, and software. This tool checks your computer for such inconsistencies and tries to resolve issues if found,” Microsoft explains.
These updates should be available today (February 26th), via Microsoft/Windows Update. If you have automatic updates installed, check to see if you have already received these updates. These patches are not part of the February 2013 Patch Tuesday (which already took place February 12th). During Patch Tuesday, Microsoft released an update for the Surface RT addressing WiFi reliability and connectivity. For those of you on the Surface Pro or Surface RT, have you noticed anything new or fixed since installing the update?