Microsoft’s most recent Patch Tuesday highlights a stark fact: Windows 10 is in a winnowing phase, and that its successor, Windows 11 is where the company has staked out meaningful evolution. The new release is the second to last cumulative update for Windows 10 – necessary for security and stability of course — but virtually all of the headline changes are earmarked for Windows 11.
Windows 10 receives bug fixes; Windows 11 gets features
Windows 10 is getting a straight-up rollup of security and reliability updates, KB5065429. There’s nothing splashy here — just the sort of housekeeping you definitely want done before support runs out. If you’re hanging out on Windows 10 for the time being, this update is a must-have.
Windows 11, on the other hand, comes with KB5065426 and a number of refinements that touch regular workflows. So, to sum it all up: Microsoft isn’t slowing down changes throughout the shell — and authentication workspace, and AI-enabled experiences will be an increasing area of focus in these updates – making it clear that Windows innovation tomorrow is squarely planted on 11.
Security first: 81 vulnerabilities, two zero-days
Microsoft shuttered 81 vulnerabilities across supported versions of Windows, from XP to 7 to 10, according to briefings from patch management vendor Action1 and notes in Microsoft’s Security Update Guide. Two of them were zero-days, actively or publicly exploited.
One, identified as CVE-2025-55234, is focused on the SMB protocol and could allow for credential intercept in cross-service situations – greater risk for organizations but still a must-patch for consumers. Another, CVE-2024-21907, is with an open-source. NET component that was misusuable to perform a DoS against services. More corrections cover Windows graphics and imaging components, Hyper-V, and Microsoft Office. The takeaway: apply this month’s patches and then reboot — don’t hesitate.
What Windows 11 users really feel
Windows 11 brings some tangible quality-of-life improvements. On Copilot+ PCs, Recall now automatically opens with your customized home screen that showcases recent activity and your most-used apps and sites. With it, you can now filter what you save due to snapshots (desserts but not entrees please), and a newly formatted nav bar brings Home, Timeline, Feedback and Settings within a click. The Click to Do experience introduces via an interactive tutorial, enabling those who have never used it to “click” on text and images.
Core UI touches receive polish as well. The taskbar’s notification area can show a bigger clock with seconds, and Search now incorporates a live status indicator as searches you run play out. File Explorer’s context menu gets a few dividers as well, making distinct top-level actions easier to see—minor but meaningful changes for power users.
There are more changes to security and sign-in flows. Windows Hello focuses more on passkeys with a cleaner, simpler interface — a reflection of industrywide trends away from traditional passwords. Activation and expiry reminders under Settings now follow the Windows 11 design language. New Privacy & security page for Text and Image Generation lets you know which third-party apps recently accessed generative models provided by Windows—helpful if you’re an admin tracking AI use.
On Copilot+ systems, the Settings agent goes beyond Snapdragon and finds a home on AMD and Intel PCs as well, letting people seek out settings with natural-language requests. It’s another nudge in the direction of AI as system-level assistant instead of stand-alone app.
Windows 10: one more update, and then choices
With end-of-support looming, this update is the next-to-the-last full Patch Tuesday release for Windows 10. Following the last cumulative update, it boils down to a decision for businesses and savvy individuals: upgrade to Windows 11, or add your eligible devices under an ESU support plan.
Microsoft has also provided details on ESU enrollment offerings that feature paid subscriptions, possible redemption by reward points and paths through the Windows Backup experience. ESU delivers important patches but doesn’t provide new features. Over time, ESU programs have tended to incorporate greater expense as well and thus are meant to be a bridge rather than a destination.
What IT and home users need to do now
If so, upgrading to Windows 11 is the smart move for compatible enterprises. You get contemporary protections such as hardened virtualization-based security defaults, Smart App Control in supported configurations, kernel isolation enhancements and expanded passkey support— handy impacts that lower risk even if you’re running on a completely up-to-date Windows 10 ESU machine. Industry analysts and incident response teams continue to find these controls dull the mas s of common attack chains.
For people at home, the advice is more straightforward: update where you can. If your PC isn’t up to Windows 11 snuff, consider a hardware upgrade over short-term ESU coverage. Gambling on out-of-date software is just that; if you have to stay on Windows 7, budget for ESU and lock down your configuration with a modern browser, minimal use of admin rights and proper endpoint protection.
How to obtain the update
Go to Settings. In Windows 10, open Update & Security from the Settings menu and choose Windows Update. On Windows 11, launch Windows Update directly. Most devices will install on their own through an Automatic Updates feature, but if not, select Check for updates. Install, restart and make sure KB5065429 (Windows 10) or KB5065426 (Windows 11) shows in your update history.
The message of this release cycle is clear. Windows 10 is getting the fixes it has to have; Windows 11 is getting the platform investments users will see. The road to the future (of Windows, at least) is through Windows 11 if you want the best of what Windows has to offer in the coming years.