Businesses running Windows 8.1: It's time to move to 8.1 Update

Next week's Patch Tuesday, August, 12 is the date by which business users need to move from Windows 8.1 to Windows 8.1 Update in order to continue to get patches and fixes from Microsoft.

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Microsoft rolled out the first update to Windows 8.1 (known officially as "Windows 8.1 Update") in April. Originally, Microsoft planned to require all Windows 8.1 users to install the Update by May 13.

But on May 12, Microsoft officials, responding to user complaints, agreed to extend the grace period for applying the Update. Consumers had until June 10 to move to Windows 8.1 Update from Windows 8.1 in order to continue to receive patches and fixes.

Business users have until August 12 to move to Windows 8.1 Update from Windows 8.1, and to Windows Server 2012 R2 Update from Windows Server 2012 R2, officials said back in May. The business-side deadline applies to those updating using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Intune and/or System Center Configuration Manager to update users' machines. The August 12 deadline also applies to users running Windows 8.1 Embedded Industry; they need to move to the Update to continue to get patches and fixes, too.

Users who are on plain-old Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 --not Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2 -- are not subject to the requirement to move to Windows 8.1 Update within Microsoft's deadline in order to continue to get patches and fixes.

Windows 8.1 Update 2 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Update 2 (officially known as the "August" updates) -- which Microsoft will release on August 12 -- are not required updates which must be applied by a set deadline to ensure future patch and fix availability.