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The Hotfix Share

Workings of GDR and QFE Branches


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Do updates on GDR branch not contain functionality updates? For example, if security fix is released that updates "ntkrnlpa.exe" to version 5.1.2600.5000 on GDR branch and a hotfix is released that can update "ntkrnlpa.exe" to version 5.1.2600.4999 on the QFE branch, and the GDR security update is applied, would the system not have the functionality changes that could have been introduced by the hotfix, were it applied?

 

I have noticed that many hotfix packages that are meant to change functionality have GDR branches, often in addition to the QFE branches. Do such hotfixes select the GDR branch by default if only the GDR branch has been used in the past?

 

What happens, in terms of selection of GDR and QFE branches or files, when an update patch has both QFE and GDR branches with multiple files for update and is applied to a system that already has the relevant but older files installed? Also what would happen if the system files are older but on a different branch? For example, suppose the following exists:

 

System copy of files prior to patching:

File Version Branch

File.one 1.2600.5000 GDR

File.two 1.2600.5500 GDR

File.thr 1.2600.5000 QFE

File.fou 1.2600.5500 QFE

 

 

Suppose that a hotfix package exists and has the following file versions:

File Version Branch

File.one 1.2600.5300 GDR

File.two 1.2600.5300 GDR

File.thr 1.2600.5300 GDR

File.fou 1.2600.5300 GDR

 

File.one 1.2600.5300 QFE

File.two 1.2600.5300 QFE

File.thr 1.2600.5300 QFE

File.fou 1.2600.5300 QFE

 

 

What should be the the resulting files and version of fixes on the system after the hotfix is applied?

 

In practice, does what should happen regarding the file selection actually happen?

 

 

There are also update packages that do not contain explicitly specified QFE branches (the older Windows 2000/XP hotfixes, for example). Are these patches assumed to be of GDR type?

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