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Is Microsoft’s Reversal on Update Names an Essential Win for Confused IT Admins?
Microsoft recently changed how it names updates for Windows 11, and many people were not happy. The company listened to the complaints and decided to change it back, at least partially.
What Microsoft Changed
To understand the problem, you need to see what the update names looked like before. They contained a lot of useful information.
For example, a typical security update was named:
2025-09 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5065426)
This name tells you:
- The Date: September 2025
- The Type: A cumulative update, which bundles many fixes.
- The Windows Version: Version 24H2
Then, Microsoft tried to make the names “simpler.” A new update name looked like this:
Preview Update (KB5062660) (26100.4770)
The new name removed the month and year. Microsoft said it dropped these details because it believed they were “unnecessary.”
Why The Change Was a Problem
For most people, this change might not seem like a big deal. But for IT administrators—the people who manage computers for businesses, schools, and other organizations—it created a major headache. Without the date, it became very difficult to know which update was the most recent. One IT admin described the situation as a “nightmare” for help desk calls. Another pointed out that the date is often the only part of the long title that regular users can understand.
Microsoft’s Response
After hearing from many frustrated IT professionals, Microsoft agreed that removing the date was a mistake. The company confirmed it will add the year and month (YYYY-MM) back to all future update titles.
However, not everything is returning to the way it was. Microsoft does not plan to bring back other labels, such as “cumulative update” or the OS version number, in the title. So, while the dates are coming back, the names will still be simpler than they were originally.