As I’ve already stated, the “Update” that has so-far been called Windows 8.1 Update (sometimes Update 1) is also applicable to Windows Server 2012 R2. What does this include?
- Cumulative update: All of the post-RTM updates are included
- Bug fixes: Lots of elective hotfixes that Microsoft releases but are not distributed through Windows Update
- Enterprise Mode for Internet Explorer: I hope you don’t browse on your application servers or Hyper-V management OSs! This one is important for RDS session hosts, and offers backwards compatibility for IE11 (simulating IE8).
- Active Directory fix for Office 365: To enable sign-on using an O365 email address, again for RDS.
- The updated UI experience: No this is not the Windows xNext experience. This is the Update’s updated experience. Again … intended for RDS session hosts.
The bug fixes are particularly important. I think there might also be updates in there that have not been publicly released yet too.
Use the MSDN download to do your testing. And then when ready, wait a week or two, and let someone else do the production testing for you. If the blogosphere and IT news remain clear, then approve the update(s) and let rip!
As I said yesterday, there is also an updated ISO containing WS2012 R2 with the slipstreamed updates.
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