February 'Patch Tuesday' updates now rolling out for Windows 10

Surface Laptop 2
Surface Laptop 2 (Image credit: Windows Central)

Today marks the second Tuesday of February, which means it's time for another batch of "Patch Tuesday" updates from Microsoft. The cumulative updates are now rolling out for Windows 10 PCs on the October 2018 Update and older, bringing along a healthy dose of bug and security fixes.

Here's a look at what's fixed for PCs on the October 2018 Update with KB4487044 (build 17763.316):

  • Addresses an issue that fails to set the LmCompatibilityLevel value correctly. LmCompatibilityLevel specifies the authentication mode and session security.
  • Addresses an issue that may prevent applications that use a Microsoft Jet database with the Microsoft Access 97 file format from opening. This issue occurs if the database has column names greater than 32 characters. The database fails to open with the error, "Unrecognized Database Format".
  • Addresses an issue that causes the Windows Hello for Business Hybrid Key Trust deployment sign-in to fail if Windows 2019 Server domain controllers (DC) are used for authentication. The error is, "That option is temporarily unavailable. For now, please use a different method to sign in". If Active Directory (AD) activity tracing is enabled, a Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) exception may occur in the Windows 2019 DC when processing a user's sign in.
  • Addresses an issue in Microsoft HoloLens that allows users to bypass the lock screen sign in process in some work flows.
  • Security updates to Microsoft Scripting Engine, Microsoft Edge, Windows Server, the Microsoft JET Database Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows Wireless Networking, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Graphics, and Windows App Platform and Frameworks.

If you're on the April 2018 Update, you'll find the following fixes with KB4487017 (build 17134.590):

  • Addresses an issue that fails to set the LmCompatibilityLevel value correctly. LmCompatibilityLevel specifies the authentication mode and session security.
  • Addresses an issue that may prevent applications that use a Microsoft Jet database with the Microsoft Access 97 file format from opening. This issue occurs if the database has column names greater than 32 characters. The database fails to open with the error, "Unrecognized Database Format".
  • Adds top-level domain support to HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) Preload for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11.
  • Addresses an issue that prevents Microsoft Edge from connecting using an IP address.
  • Security updates to Microsoft Scripting Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Graphics, Windows Input and Composition, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Server, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

The release notes for the Fall Creators Update and Creators Update are identical to the above notes for the April 2018 Update.

For the full list of release notes, along with any known issues that are present with each update, you can check out Microsoft's support site for more. Otherwise, each batch of cumulative updates should be available to snag now via Windows Update.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl