Microsoft December Patch Tuesday Includes Surface Firmware Updates

It’s Microsoft Patch Tuesday and that means a round of security and non-security updates for Windows in all shapes and sizes. The updates include security updates for Office products as well. Microsoft releases patches on the second Tuesday of each month and today’s updates also include firmware updates for the newly released Surface 2 Tablets. For Surface 2 owners this is the third major firmware update for that device since its release in October.

For the Surface 2 the firmware updates  include:

• 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

For the Surface Pro 2 the firmware updates include:

• 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 original Surface RT update includes a fix for the Home Button driver to optimize available system memory, as well as an audio driver update for the Type Cover 2 to enhance trackpad sounds. The original Surface Pro did not receive a firmware update.

For a complete list of all of the December 10 security and non-security updates from Microsoft go here. As an FYI for Surface 2 owners there were 23 updates listed for that device.

If you have your device set for automatic updates they will automatically download and then be applied after a restart. If you’d like to download them ahead of time you can go swipe in from the right to bring up the Charms Menu, then choose Settings, Change PC Settings, Update and Recovery, and Check Now under Windows Update.