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How Do You Know When Microsoft Releases New Patches?
If you want to know when Microsoft typically releases security patches and updates for its products, the answer is Patch Tuesday.
Patch Tuesday is Microsoft's regular monthly security update cycle. Microsoft generally releases security updates for supported products on the second Tuesday of each month, providing organizations with a predictable schedule for reviewing, testing, and deploying patches.
For IT teams, having a regular patch schedule makes it easier to:
- Prepare for upcoming patch deployments.
- Review security advisories and affected products.
- Test patches against existing applications and systems.
- Identify potential compatibility issues.
- Schedule and execute deployments with minimal disruption.
Microsoft may also release out-of-band (OOB) updates when a critical security issue or other urgent situation requires a patch outside the normal monthly schedule.
Security Recommendation: Regularly install security updates and patches on supported devices and applications. Keeping systems up to date is one of the fundamental measures for reducing exposure to known security vulnerabilities.
Updated as of September 2026.
