Microsoft Releases Final Windows 10 Update With Bug Fixes, Security Patches; 'Big' Windows Announcement Teased

Microsoft on Tuesday released the final software update for its Windows 10 operating system. Support for the operating system (OS), which was released in 2015, ended on October 14. Computers running on Windows 10 will no longer be eligible for any new security updates, unless they are enrolled in Microsoft's extended updates programme. As per Microsoft, the latest (and final) update for Windows 10 brings fixes for issues related to input and composition, Windows Remote Management (WinRM), and the fax modem driver. It also contains the latest servicing stack update (SSU) and the latest cumulative update (LCU).

Microsoft's Final Windows 10 Update Rolls Out

The latest Windows 10 update began rolling out on Tuesday, and it is compatible with two Windows 10 builds: 19044.6456 and 19045.6456. Users must have the latest SSU installed on their Windows PC or laptop before attempting to install the update, Microsoft states on its support page.

If the latest SSU is not installed, it might result in the Windows update not being offered. The company claims SSUs are crucial since they improve the reliability of the update process and mitigate potential issues that might occur when installing the Windows updates.

The update is said to fix two issues related to input and composition. The first includes a problem with the Chinese Input Method Editor (IME), which resulted in the Private Unicode characters being shown incorrectly and not meeting the GB18030 standard. In another instance, surrogate pairs appeared as empty boxes when text fields reached their length limit in USER32 Edit controls.

Users also reported an issue related to remote management, which affected PowerShell Remoting and WinRM, where commands timed out after 600 seconds. It has also been fixed with the final update to Windows 10, as per Microsoft.

The latest Windows 10 update removes the ltmdm64.sys driver. After this, fax modem hardware, which is dependent on the specific driver, will no longer work on Windows. Microsoft says that if users have installed earlier updates, only the new updates contained in the latest package will be downloaded and installed on their devices.

To install the latest Windows 10 update:

1. Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Alternatively, you can also tap on the Windows Update shortcut.
2. Now, click on the Check for updates button. If there are any pending updates available for the current Windows version, then users might have to install the update for it first.
3. Click on the Download and install button to initiate the process.
4. Your laptop or PC may restart a few times before the Windows 10 update installation process is complete.

Microsoft's 'Big' Windows-Related Announcement Expected This Week

After sun setting Windows 10, Microsoft on Thursday announced that it is gearing up to make a big Windows-related announcement this week. While details remain under wraps, it is expected to be "something big".

In a post on X, the official Windows account wrote, "our hands are about to get some PTO. Time to rest those fingers…something big is coming Thursday."

It is in line with what Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of Enterprise & Security, David Weston, recently revealed. In a conversation with Windows Central, the official hinted towards agentic capabilities and said that the computer would be able to "see what we see, hear what we hear". Users would be able to ask it to do "much more sophisticated things".

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