According to Microsoft, Windows 10 has B, C, and D updates. But never A updates! These updates are released at different times, contain different things, and are provided to different users.
Pay a little attention to see what the company means:
What is a Cumulative Quality Update?
Microsoft calls them “quality updates” and releases them once a month. This sets them apart from major “feature updates” like the October 2018 Update that are released every six months, usually in the spring and fall.
Quality updates are cumulative, meaning they contain all the updates from previous updates. So when you install the December cumulative update, for example, you install on your system not only the new security updates released in December, but also all the ones released in November and October.
So if you're updating a new computer, you'll only need one large cumulative update package to install. You don't have to install updates one by one and reboot constantly.
It sounds practical, but the way Microsoft handles updates C and D is a bit strange.
Microsoft is cutting off the installation of what it calls “seekers” by allowing users to install certain updates before they’ve been fully tested. But almost none of these users realize they’ve agreed to be seekers.
B Updates: Patch Tuesday
The major updates that most people know as “Patch Tuesday,” and are released on the second Tuesday of each month, are called B updates because they are released in the second week of the month. This explains why there are no A updates, as Microsoft does not release updates in the first week of the month. (…..)
B updates are the most important updates, as they contain all the new security fixes. They also contain security updates that were released in previous B updates and bug fixes that were released in previous C and D updates.
They are predictable for system administrators, who know when to expect them.
C and D Updates: “Optional” Preview Updates
Updates C and D are released in the third and fourth weeks of the month, respectively, and do not include new security updates.
These updates only contain new bug fixes and improvements for other non-security issues. Microsoft says that updates C and D are “optional” and that Windows Update will not automatically install them on your computer.
According to Microsoft, D updates typically contain the majority of non-security updates. This gives users a few weeks to try them out before they are released to everyone in the next B update. Microsoft sometimes releases C updates in the third week of the month for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and older versions of Windows 10.
Updates C and D: are for Seekers who are not seekers
Here's the bad news: Windows Update doesn't automatically install Updates C and D on most computers. However, it does install them when you go to Settings – Update & Security – Windows Update and click the "Check for updates" button.
[su_note note_color=”#ebebeb” text_color=”#271e45″ radius=”2″]In the Microsoft world, this makes you a Seeker who wants to try these updates before they are released to all Windows users. Microsoft revealed this in a recent blog post.[/su_note]
So, if you click “Check for Updates” on the third, fourth, or first week of the month before the next B update is released, you will install a C or D update on your system. If you never click “Check for Updates,” you will be stuck with the better-tested B updates.
After updates C or D have been “tested” in the above manner and Microsoft has confirmed that they are stable via Windows 10 telemetry, they appear in the next B update. Updates C and D are basically a beta testing program for the B updates that are installed on fixed computers.
In other words, Microsoft is using people who click the “Check for updates” button as beta testers for quality fixes instead of testing its system through the Windows Insider program.
Out-of-Band Updates Hotfixes Only
Microsoft also (occasionally) releases “out-of-band” updates. These are emergency patches that don’t follow the regular schedule.
For example, if there is a new security bug that needs to be fixed immediately or a problem that causes a BSOD, Microsoft can fix it with an immediate update.
Feature Updates: Major updates every six months
There are also “feature updates,” which are the big upgrades to Windows 10 that come out every six months. They’re different from the monthly “quality updates.”
They’re essentially new versions of Windows 10, and Microsoft gradually releases them to PCs.
After all of the above, think very carefully before pressing the “Check for Updates” button again.
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