It appears that Microsoft retired the company's Hotfix service for its Windows operating system and Microsoft Easy Fix solutions.

System administrators and users who attempt to download hotfixes from Microsoft's website are greeted with a "This hotfix is no longer available message".

The entire message reads:

The Hotfix service is no longer available. Instead you can find your fix or patch by upgrading to the latest update available for your product. You can also obtain Microsoft drivers, software updates, and other support files by downloading them from the Microsoft Catalog, the Microsoft Download Center, or upgrade to Windows 10. Windows 10 contains the most up-to-date security and other features built right in.

Microsoft suggests that devices are updated to the latest version to patch the issue and that drivers, software updates, or support files can be downloaded from various Microsoft services.

Microsoft released hotfixes in the past to address critical issues on Windows PCs. Examples include: a hotfix that fixed a corruption issue in Windows 7, another to improve the printing performance on Windows 7, and a third to address a security issue in Internet Explorer.

Hotfixes were provided as separate downloads that administrators could install on Windows PCs to fix certain issues on the devices. These were temporary in nature, usually, as Microsoft integrated the patches into updates that it released at a later point in time to all users usually.

Microsoft did not make any announcement in regards to the retiring of the hotfix service to the best of my knowledge. I contacted Microsoft to find out more about the shutdown of the service but have not heard back from Microsoft. I will update the article with additional information if Microsoft responds.

Hotfixes are still listed on the Microsoft Update Catalog website. A search for hotfix on the catalog website returns more than 1000 items (1000 is the hard limit and the output is limited to the first 1000 results on the catalog website).

It is interesting to note that the Support pages of hotfixes are still available, and that the download links still work. Some download links open the Microsoft Hotfix Index site while others the Microsoft Update Catalog website to download the hotfix.

This suggests that previous hotfixes are still available when you dig deep enough.

Microsoft announced the end of support for Microsoft Easy Fix solutions as well. Microsoft Easy Fix was known as Fix It previously.

Microsoft notes that solutions are no longer supported and that downloads have been removed.

You might have tried to download a Microsoft Easy Fix solution (formerly referred to as a “Fix It”). Easy Fix solutions are no longer supported or offered for download.

The company suggests that users run the Troubleshooter that is integrated in the client version of the Windows operating system to fix issues.

Closing Words

When did Microsoft release the last hotfix for a Windows operating system? The last hotfix release for Windows 8 happened in 2015 and the last release for Windwos Server 2012 R2 in 2016 according to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

No hotfixes are listed for Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 according to the site.

Now You: Did you install hotfixes in the past on Windows PCs? (via Born)

Summary Article Name Microsoft's Hotfix service is no longer available Description It appears that Microsoft retired the company's Hotfix service for the Microsoft Windows operating system recently. Author Martin Brinkmann Publisher Ghacks Technology News Logo

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