This month’s pile-o-patches from Microsoft includes updates for Flash in Microsoft browsers, .NET, Exchange Server, Office (2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019), Sharepoint, Windows (7, 8.1, and 10), Windows Server (2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019), Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Internet Explorer 11, Edge, and Teams.

Analysis of the new (but not improved) Security Update Guide for November shows that there are at least 102 bulletins (but as many as 118, depending on what’s counted), each with an associated set of updates. As many as one hundred and eighty-five security vulnerabilities are addressed.

Dammit, Microsoft

Microsoft has once again changed the way security bulletins and updates are documented. As a result, it’s now even more difficult to find certain details about individual updates, and more difficult to ascertain just how many updates were made available for a given Patch Tuesday. It seems like Microsoft wants us to give up trying to get a handle on these things, and just install all available updates. Some people have turned to non-Microsoft resources for update information, such as the Patch Tuesday Dashboard, which is useful, but the numbers there don’t match mine, so who knows.

Getting the updates

Most Windows 10 users will get the relevant updates installed automatically over the next couple of days, although more recent versions of Windows 10 do allow updates to be delayed.

Windows 8.1 computers that have automatic updates enabled will also get those updates soon. Otherwise, you’ll need to head to the Windows Control Panel to run Windows Update.

Windows 7 users are still pretty much out of luck.