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How to bypass ‘This Hotfix Is No Longer Available’ errors

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Microsoft hotfixes were meant to provide swift solutions to small but teething issues in various programs to enable users andadministratorsto restore software’s functionality soonest. As a result, hotfixes have been pretty popular among Microsoft products users.

But now Microsoft haskilled this serviceand users are met by the message “This hotfix is no longer available” when attempting to access any recommended Hotfix.

Now, if you have been left scratching your head looking for a solution, then you are in luck:

There are multiple ways of resolvingissuesthat previously needed a hotfix.

Here I will show you how to overcome the “this hotfix is no longer available” matter and solve any program mishap that traditionally needs a hotfix. Let’s go.

What to do if hotfix is not available

Fix 1: Search for the specific hotfix on the Microsoft Update Catalog

Thankfully, it seems that Microsoft hasn’t removed most of the actual hotfix files from the Microsoft update catalog page. You can thus simply search for the specific hotfix from there and download it.

Here is what I would do it assuming I am looking for the hotfix KB2980746 (for Windows 8.1).

Well, while that’s pretty easy, not all the hotfixes will be available through the update catalog page. But it’s not really a big bother since there are several hacks that are known to help. Here they are.

Fix 2: Upgrade To The Latest Available Updates For Your Microsoft Product

Even though they take a little longer than hotfixes because they are larger, the latest product updates contain almost all the required fixes for the known issues and is an assured way of eliminatingcommon bugs.

Here is how to get the Windows operating system updates:

Windows 7

Windows 8/8.1

Windows 10

The above steps will update your operating system.

Now observe the following instructions to update your Office programs (If the missing hotfix was for an office app).

The latest versions of Office

Tip:ClickEnable Updatesto enable updates if theUpdate Nowoption is missing.

Older versions of Office

Let’s now look at the steps toupdateother Microsoft products like browsers orXbox.

It’s a bit cumbersome but it helps.

Fix 3: Upgrade to Windows 10

Windows 10 includes the most up-to-datepatchesand many other essential features and you can once and for all eliminate the “This hotfix is no longer available” difficulty by upgrading to it. Price starts at $139 forWindows 10 home edition.

— RELATED:This is how you can force your PC to upgrade to Windows 10

Fix 4: Upgrade Your Office (Or other products)

Similarly, you may have to upgrade your office suite to a latter office version to get the best experience. The same applies to every other Microsoft product needing a hotfix.

Conclusion

You can circumvent the “this hotfix is no longer available” challenge by either searching for the applicable hotfix from the Microsoft catalog center or by updating the concerned programs.

Of course, the best solution is by ensuring that your Microsoft software are up to date and that you’re working with the latest editions of yourfavorite apps.

How to bypass ‘This Hotfix Is No Longer Available’ errors#

What to do if hotfix is not available#

Fix 1: Search for the specific hotfix on the Microsoft Update Catalog#

Fix 2: Upgrade To The Latest Available Updates For Your Microsoft Product#

Fix 3: Upgrade to Windows 10#

Fix 4: Upgrade Your Office (Or other products)#