In a continuous effort to help mitigate the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities on devices using Intel processors, recently Microsoft began offering microcode updates for some Skylake computers running the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709). Now the company is expanding its efforts, and it’s making available update KB4090007 to mitigate the Spectre variant 2 vulnerability to a broader set of processors, including Skylake, Kaby Lake, and Coffee Lake.
Also, Microsoft is releasing update KB4091663 for devices still on Windows 10 version 1703, and update KB4091664 for those running Windows 10 version 1607.
The KB4093836 notes that the updates KB4090007, KB4091663, KB4091664 are available as standalone patches through the Microsoft Update Catalog website (not via Windows Update) for computer running Windows 10 version 1709, version 1703, and version 1607 respectively.
Additionally, Microsoft explains that is expanding coverage to mitigate the Meltdown vulnerability for the 32-bit version of Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 with more updates coming soon for more versions of Windows.
On Windows 10, the software giant is also removing the antivirus compatibility check that blocked certain devices from receiving quality updates for March 2018. As a result of this change, some devices are expected to encounter problems if they’re using an outdated security software. However, on devices known to have antivirus driver issues, Microsoft will continue to block them from receiving updates to prevent further problems.
If you have a computer running a Skylake, Kaby Lake, and Coffee Lake processor, you can download the KB4090007 update through the Microsoft Update Catalog for Windows 10 version 1709 using the links below. The installation is pretty simple too, just double-click the file and the update will install automatically.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].