KB2756872 - Windows 8 and Server 2012 General Availability Cumulative Update

[Arthur]

This 170MB update is like a mini service pack. Click the links below to download or get it via Windows Update.

 

Download

Windows 8: 64-bit / 32-bit

Windows Server 2012: 64-bit

 

Windows 8 Client and Windows Server 2012 General Availability Cumulative Update is available. This cumulative update package provides a collection of performance and reliability improvements that are designed to improve the Windows 8 experience. We recommend that you apply this cumulative update as part of your regular maintenance routines.

 

Improvements

• Increased power efficiency to extend battery life
  
• Performance improvements in Windows 8 applications and Start screen
  
• Improved audio and video playback in many scenarios
  
• Improved application and driver compatibility with Windows 8
  

 

Microsoft has been working for the past few years to convince users, especially business users, they don't need to wait until the first service pack to deploy a new Windows release.

 

With Windows 8, Microsoft officials believe they've gotten a step closer, by rolling out via Windows Update on October 9 the “Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 General Availability Cumulative Update.” This update provides post-RTM (release to manufacturing) updates around performance, power management and battery efficiency, media playback, and compatibility, according to an October 9 post on the Building Windows 8 blog. Windows 8 was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012.

 

In an uncharacteristically short post, Windows President Steven Sinofsky explained how these updates traditionally have been provided. He noted that during the time Microsoft and OEMs are making final customizations and tweaks to RTM code to create new or updated components, drivers and companion software, sometimes there also need to be changes and improvements made to Windows fundamnetals.

 

While customers typically had to wait until Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Microsoft to broadly distribute these updates, this time around, Microsoft created new tools and processes to get these updates to customers sooner than a service pack.

 

"By developing better test automation and test coverage tools we are happy to say that Windows 8 will be totally up to date for all customers starting at General Availability. If you are an MSDN or enterprise customer, these updates will be available for your Windows 8 PCs via Windows Update as of today (October 9), following our standard cadence for Windows Updates on the second Tuesday of each month at about 10:00am (PT)," Sinofsky blogged. (Source)

[free780]

With new Start Menu feature! (Keep dreaming)

[jamesmay]

I'd just be happy if it fixed some of the GPP settings for internet explorer