Today is Patch Tuesday, December 2013, this is the last batch of Windows update of the year and Microsoft is releasing 11 updates, 5 of them are marked as Critical and the remaining 6 are marked as Important. The Critical updates patches vulnerabilities on Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, 7, XP and other version of the operating system; Internet Explorer (6 through 11), and various other Microsoft products. The remaining Important updates also aim to close potential remote execution on Windows and various Microsoft products like Office 2013, Microsoft Exchange, and others.
Also in the last Patch Tuesday of 2013, all Microsoft Surface tablets get a last firmware update. But in December, Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 are the ones getting the most updates. For example, Surface 2 gets fix for screen dimming when the processor is working intensively, there is a new update to support more external monitors, and there is also a fix for Bluetooth connectivity. And Surface Pro 2 gets wireless driver update, improved system stability and color fidelity on apps, and a lot more. Check all the changes below:
Surface RT
Windows RT 8.0 and Windows RT 8.1
- Surface Home Button Driver update to optimize available system memory.
- Surface Type Cover audio device driver update to enhance trackpad sounds for Type Cover 2.
Surface 2
- Screen dimming during CPU intensive operations resolved.
- Decreased charge time for batteries.
- Two-finger trackpad use optimized.
- Update to support additional external displays.
- Skype video quality improved.
- Resolved delay during restart when Bluetooth devices are connected.
Surface Pro
Windows 8.1
- Wi-Fi driver (v14.69.24047.156) update for improved wireless display experience.
Surface Pro 2
- Improved system stability, including when minimizing full screen games.
- Updated Wi-Fi driver for improved wireless display and connectivity with wireless access points.
- Improved Surface Cover interaction including power-saving sleep functionality.
- Color fidelity improvements for all applications.
- Optimized two-finger trackpad use.
- Enhanced audio experience when connected to a Display Port 1.2 device.
The updates will roll out shortly and you’ll be able to update manually by going to the Control Panel, clicking Windows Update, and then clicking Check of Update, or you can wait to the next restart and they will install automatically.
Update: If Windows won’t download the updates automatically or you need to deploy the new updates to a corporation, you can opt to download the ISO from Microsoft containing all the December 2013 updates.
Download details:
- File Name: Windows-KB913086-201312.iso (2.5 GB)
- Version: 913086
- Security Bulletins: MS13-096, MS13-097, MS13-098, MS13-099, MS13-101, MS13-102
- Knowledge Base (KB) Articles: KB2871690, KB2887069, KB2892074, KB2893294, KB2893984, KB2898715, KB2898785, KB2901674, KB2907997
- Date Published: December 10, 2013
Source Microsoft
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 14 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 20 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].