Hotfix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A hot fix is a single, cumulative package that includes one or more files that are used to address a problem in a software product (aka. a software bug). Typically, hotfixes are made to address a specific customer situation and may not be distributed outside the customer organization.
As a side effect a hotfix package might contain several encompassed bug fixes raising the risk of possible regressions.
In a Microsoft Windows context, hotfixes are small patches designed to address specific issues, most commonly to freshly discovered security holes. These are small files typically automatically installed on the computer with Windows Update (although some may only able to be obtained via Microsoft Support) and could contain a hot patch eliminating the need for a reboot.
There are a number of third-party software programs to aid in the installation of hotfixes to multiple machines at the same time. These software products also help the administrator by creating a list of installed hotfixes already installed on multiple machines.