December has gotten a few surprises in Windows PatchLand, but for the most part, the coast is. "Clear," that is, if you can't made huge, muscular lifters of installing the Win10 Fall Creators Update, version 1709 (or got pushed engrossed), before the nominal four-month testing period lapsed.

In broad terms, it's safe to put in this month's Windows and Office patches, unless you're using Win10 1709, presently there are a few obscure gotchas which often can bite you if you're using Win7 with encrypted fileshares, or Active Directory app login. For those who installed Win10 1709 before letting the unpaid beta testers skate out on Crait, there's very little reason to fit this month's security patches, when you don't use Web browser or Edge. Which, generally if the statistics ought to be believed, a person don't.
Office atches

Microsoft has a catch-all web address for known (which would be to say, officially acknowledged) bugs in Office patches. About them, you'll find entries for known Outlook problems ("After updating to Win10 1709, the Outlook People Pane never shows any results"), Excel problems ("You can experience problems loading the Excel Solver add-in whenever you have WPS Office installed on your machine"), and Onenote ("Can't rename sections in Onenote for Windows"). There's furthermore general warning whenever you're having crashes upon opening files situated OneDrive, you need to install modern version of OneDrive.

I don't know why, but there's no mention on that page in the major improvement in the way Word blocks DDEAUTO fields after installing this month's Word security patches. I talked about that the 2009 week. Main thing: You should install this month's Word security patch - KB 4011575, 4011590, 4011608, 4011612, and/or 4011614 - but know the potential problem. If you ever subsequently open a Word doc, so it no longer responds correctly (by, say, pulling data from an Excel spreadsheet and putting the comprehensive data in the doc), you'll want to slog through your manual workarounds, edit the registry, as well as DDE right again.
Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 patches

The coast stands to reason unless you're using Active Directory to log into apps, or you're opening Office documents from an encrypted fileshare. When you don't understand the gibberish, don't worry, you're fine. If you undertake understand the gibberish, get hooked throughout the Patch Management mailing list.

Microsoft is blocking updates to Windows 7 and 8.1 on recent computers. If you're running Windows 7 or 8.1 for the PC that's per year old or newer, refer to the manual in AKB 2000006 or @MrBrian's writeup on @radosuaf's method to make every effort to can use Windows Update to build updates applied.

If you're very related to Microsoft's snooping you and want to install just security patches, realize the privacy path's driving more difficult. The outdated "Group B" - security patches only - isn't dead, but it's specifically within the grasp of typical Windows customers. When you insist on manually installing security patches only, refer to the instructions in @PKCano's AKB 2000003 remain aware of @MrBrian's suggestions for hiding any unwanted patches.

For several Windows 7 and 8.1 users, I recommend following AKB 2000004: The right way to apply the Win7 and 8.1 Monthly Rollups. If you'd like to minimize Microsoft's snooping having said that install each of the offered patches, shut down the Customer Experience Improvement Program (Step 1 of AKB 2000007: Switching off the worst Windows 7 and 8.1 snooping) before you'll install any patches. (Thx, @MrBrian).

Challenge driver updates - you're greater off keeping them from a manufacturer's website. After you've installed the most popular Monthly Rollup, if you're focused on minimizing Microsoft's snooping, put into practice the measures in AKB 2000007: Turning off the worst Win7 and 8.1 snooping. Learn that we don't figure out what information Microsoft collects on Window 7 and 8.1 machines.
Windows 10

If you're stuck on Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, version 1709, I strongly recommend that you stop using Internet Explorer and Edge, and hold back until Microsoft fixes extremely bugs in this particular month's Win10 1709 cumulative update, KB 4054517. As soon as you absolutely must use IE or Edge, hold your breath, let down your antivirus, incase you hit any problems, emulate references in yesterday's article.

If you're running Win10 Creators Update, version 1703 (my current preference), or version 1607, the Anniversary Update, and then you want to be on 1607 or 1703 while those found on 1709 get to eat Microsoft's canine, follow the instructions here to ward off the upgrade. Along the way through the steps, understand that Microsoft, uh, forgot to honor the "Current Branch for Business" setting - you need to run the "feature update" (read: version change) deferral setting, when you have one, entirely up to 365. And hope that Microsoft doesn't forget proven methods to count to 365.

If you're running a younger version of Win10, you're basically all by yourself. Microsoft doesn't you any more.

To obtain Windows 10 patched, check out the steps in "8 steps to fit Windows 10 patches similar to a pro."

As is also always the case, DON'T CHECK ANYTHING THAT'S UNCHECKED. Get hold of, don't be tempted to place in anything marked "Preview."

Time for get patched. Moments to get your friends patched. As you get suckered into providing technical support for all of your close friends, it's time to take them patched, too. Full instructions have reached the referenced guides to patching.