October 2026 Windows Update: 1,400 Fixes and 3 Zero-Days, Install It Now

Microsoft shipped over 1,400 security fixes on 13 October. Seventy Critical. Three zero-days, one already being exploited in real attacks. This is the biggest single Patch Tuesday ever. The previous record was September's 974, which already felt enormous at the time. Install it now, then come back and read what got fixed.

The zero-days

One is actively exploited. The other two have been publicly disclosed, meaning attackers have the blueprints even if they haven't acted on them yet.

Other flaws worth knowing

• CVE-2026-70571, Exchange Server. Remote code execution triggered by a malicious email through content conversion. No clicking needed. Critical, CVSS 8.1.
• CVE-2026-70229, Active Directory. Remote code execution via a crafted network packet. Critical, CVSS 8.1. Businesses should be patching this one fast.
• CVE-2026-70215, PowerPoint. Open a poisoned presentation file, attacker gets code execution. Critical.

Office is heavily patched this month. Excel alone got 69 fixes, Word 22, SharePoint 34.

How to install

1. Settings → Windows Update
2. Check for updates
3. Wait 10-30 minutes
4. Restart when prompted, not three days later

Windows 11 24H2 users: this is your last update

If your PC is still on Windows 11 24H2 (Home or Pro), this is the final security patch you'll receive. Support ended 13 October 2026. After today, nothing. Microsoft has been pushing 25H2 and 26H2 for months, so most PCs have moved already. Check yours: Settings → System → About. If you're still on 24H2, go to Windows Update and grab the newer version now. My 26H2 update guide covers what changed.

What else got fixed

This update also sorts out a few things that have been annoying people for months. Always On VPN connections that kept dropping should work again. The August printing bug with RAW and Generic Text Only drivers is fixed. Mouse stutter in games is gone. And File History should stop nagging you to reconnect a drive that's already connected.

On the downside, some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices (certain headsets and audio interfaces) may still lose sound after updating. This has carried over from September and Microsoft's partial fix hasn't fully resolved it. If your USB headset goes silent, try a different port or switch to Bluetooth until they sort it.

Windows 10

Still getting Extended Security Updates for now. This month's patch is KB5126657. If you haven't enrolled yet, my Windows 10 end-of-life guide explains how.

If Windows Update itself is broken

A PC that can't update can't protect itself. The usual culprits are low disk space, corrupted update files, or another antivirus clashing with Defender. I've covered the fixes in my common PC problems post. If storage is the bottleneck, speeding up a slow Windows 11 PC has that covered. And if you'd rather someone else dealt with it, that's what I'm here for: computer repairs in St Helens.

For the full technical breakdown, Bleeping Computer covers every CVE and Krebs on Security analyses which ones matter most.

Mark

Mark has been fixing computers since the late '90s and went self-employed in 2008. Based in St Helens since 2013, he works evenings and weekends from his home in Laffak, doing friendly, affordable repairs for PCs, laptops, and Macs. See reviews on Google