security patches

  1. January 2026 Windows Patch Tuesday Sparks Out of Band Emergency Updates

    Microsoft was forced into a rare series of out‑of‑band emergency patches after January’s security rollup triggered system crashes, boot failures, and application regressions that left both home users and enterprises scrambling for fixes and workarounds. Background What happened, in plain terms...
  2. Windows 11 Cumulative Update: Security Hardening and Faster File Explorer

    Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 cumulative update isn’t glamorous, but it’s important — and in practical terms it’s a strong argument for hitting “Check for updates” sooner rather than later. The patch bundles critical security hardening, a servicing‑stack update that smooths future patching, and...
  3. Windows 11 January 2026 KB5074109: Security fixes and notable regressions

    Microsoft's first cumulative Windows 11 update of 2026 — delivered as KB5074109 on January 13 — has left a broad trail of disruption: critical security fixes were installed, but several high-impact regressions followed, forcing Microsoft into rapid damage control with out‑of‑band patches and...