Update or upgrade - what's the difference?

In this practical tip, we explain the difference between an update and an upgrade.

The differences between an update and an upgrade

Updates and upgrades are often confused with each other. However, the differences are easy to explain.

• An update is usually a free update of a program. Errors and bugs as well as problems of previous versions are fixed. The version number of the product usually changes due to an update only in the decimal places. If, for example, a security vulnerability is used in software, the manufacturers usually provide an update relatively quickly to remedy it.
• An upgrade usually brings bigger new features as well as fundamental extensions, which increase the functionality of the program. If you switch from Windows 7 to Windows 8, for example, this is called an upgrade.
• Upgrades are also available outside of software and hardware. For example, you can upgrade your airline ticket to Business Class from an airline even though you have booked Economy Class - for example, if the latter is overbooked but there are still free seats in a higher class.

In this practical tip, we will show you how to display your installed Windows updates.