A Windows quality update is an incremental update for a Windows version you already have installed. It delivers bug fixes, security fixes, and sometimes feature improvements, but it does not change the Windows version itself. Microsoft describes quality updates as cumulative, meaning the newest quality update for a supported Windows version contains the applicable fixes from the updates before it.
What a quality update contains
“Quality update” is a servicing category, not a single release. It covers everything Microsoft ships to maintain a Windows version between major changes: security resolutions, non-security bug fixes, and smaller improvements to existing functionality. Because the category is broad, the same term can describe the regular monthly package, an optional preview, or an emergency fix. The release types are explained below.
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Other names for the monthly release
The regular monthly security release, which is the most common form of quality update, is known by several informal names: Patch Tuesday, Update Tuesday, the B week release, the quality update, the security update, and the latest cumulative update (LCU). All of these refer to the same kind of package. That package includes security fixes and also non-security content that was previously released in the optional preview for that cycle.
What is the difference between a Windows quality update and a Windows feature update?
The two categories answer different questions. A quality update maintains the Windows version you are running. A feature update replaces that version with a newer one that carries new features. The table below compares them on the points that matter when you decide what to expect from each.
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| Aspect | Quality update | Feature update |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Maintains the current Windows version through fixes and security resolutions | Introduces a new Windows version and new features |
| Typical cadence | Monthly, with optional previews and out-of-band releases as needed | Annual |
| Content | Security fixes, bug fixes, and feature improvements | New features plus applicable earlier quality updates |
| Effect on version number | None; the version stays the same | Changes the Windows version |
A feature update therefore does not replace the need for quality updates. It carries the applicable quality fixes forward, and monthly quality updates continue to arrive for the new version.
How cumulative installation works
Because each quality update is cumulative, installing the latest applicable one for your Windows feature version generally brings in the earlier fixes for that version. In normal use through Windows Update, you do not need to install every prior monthly update one by one. The rule applies within a single feature version. A quality update for one version does not move a device to another version, and a device on a version that is no longer serviced will not receive the updates for supported versions.
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When quality updates arrive
Microsoft typically publishes the monthly security release on the second Tuesday of each month, usually at 10:00 AM Pacific time. These are typical schedules, not guaranteed dates for any given month. The other release types follow different timing, so it is a mistake to assume that every quality update lands on the second Tuesday.
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| Release type | Typical timing | Purpose and content |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly security update | Second Tuesday of the month, usually 10:00 AM Pacific time | Regular cumulative release with security fixes and non-security content carried forward from the previous optional preview |
| Optional non-security preview | Usually the fourth week of the month | Cumulative preview that lets administrators test non-security changes before they are included in a later monthly security update |
| Out-of-band (OOB) update | As needed, outside the regular schedule | Issued when an issue or vulnerability cannot wait for the next monthly release; also cumulative |
The optional preview is not required. Devices that receive only the monthly security release still get the non-security content from the preview once it is included in that release.
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Checkpoint cumulative updates in Windows 11 version 24H2 and later
Starting with Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft may periodically publish cumulative updates as checkpoints. A later package can then be delivered as an incremental binary differential against the most recent checkpoint, which keeps package sizes smaller. This changes how the package is assembled. It does not change what a quality update is or what it is for. The checkpoint approach is scoped to Windows 11 version 24H2 and later; earlier Windows versions do not use it.
Windows Update and WSUS
Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) manage the checkpoint sequence in their normal update flow. For Windows 11 version 24H2 and later, they can install the latest monthly quality update even when checkpoints come before it, and Microsoft states that no change is needed to those processes.
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Microsoft Update Catalog
Deployments that use the Microsoft Update Catalog work differently. Depending on the scenario, the prior checkpoint packages may need to be applied before the latest monthly package, either individually or through the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool. Administrators who download packages manually should check the prerequisites listed for each package before installing it.
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Where quality updates are available
Microsoft lists three channels for monthly security updates:
- Windows Update, for individual devices.
- Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), for centrally managed networks.
- The Microsoft Update Catalog, for manually downloaded packages.
Enterprise environments may also deliver quality updates through Microsoft Intune, Windows Autopatch, Configuration Manager, or other management tools. The channel changes how the update is delivered, not whether it is a quality update.
Why the distinction matters
Knowing the category helps you read update notes and plan maintenance. A monthly security release, an optional preview, and an out-of-band fix all count as quality updates, but they differ in purpose and timing. A feature update is a separate event that changes the Windows version, and it has its own compatibility planning. Microsoft’s release-cycle documentation frames the purpose of these updates simply: “Windows updates help you to stay productive and protected.”
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