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The Update Bureau

Release Schedule & Support Lifecycle

Calendar

Security updates for most products arrive on the second Tuesday of each month ("Patch Tuesday"). Windows 11 also gets optional preview updates, usually in the fourth week, SQL Server a cumulative update about every one or two months on no fixed day, and Exchange Server cumulative updates about twice a year, with security updates when they are needed.

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Next Patch Tuesdays

Second Tuesday of each month

  1. December

    8

    2026 · in 23 days

  2. January

    12

    2027

  3. February

    9

    2027

  4. March

    9

    2027

  5. April

    13

    2027

  6. May

    11

    2027

How often each product is updated

Since Nov 2025
Since Nov 2025 Patch Tuesday Previews Out-of-band SQL CUs
Windows 11
34 21 15 ·
Windows 10
36 · 17 ·
Windows Server
48 · 25 ·
.NET Framework
66 7 · ·
SQL Server
67 · · 17
SharePoint Server
30 · · ·
Office Online Server
12 · · ·
Exchange Server
29 · 4 ·

Counts show distinct KBs released since November 2025 across all supported versions of each product. Windows and .NET monthly updates are cumulative by default; SQL Server ships separate non-security Cumulative Updates (CUs).

How a release month works

4 release types
  • 2nd Tuesday Patch Tuesday — Mandatory cumulative security updates for every supported product.
  • 4th Week Optional preview — Non-security fixes for Windows 11 and .NET tested ahead of next month's Patch Tuesday.
  • Every 1–2 mo. SQL Server CU — Non-security Cumulative Updates on their own schedule, separate from GDR security updates.
  • Any day Out-of-band — Unscheduled updates shipped early to fix an urgent regression or security flaw.

Past Patch Tuesdays

Monthly briefings

End of updates

16 upcoming · 11 ended

Ending within 90 days

Upcoming

No longer updated