Request a Microsoft hotfix without having to call Microsoft

It’s true, Microsoft now has a form you can fill out to have a hotfix emailed to you. Sounds great, doesn’t it?!? In theory yes, and that was certainly how I felt when I first heard about it. But in reality it may be a useless service, at least for me or other time-based consultants.

Today, I’d figured I test it out to see how well it works, if at all. And to some mild surprise, I’m considering it pointless. It’s currently 12:13pm and I filled out the form around 11:00am and I still do not have any hotfixes in my inbox. The real concerning part was what it said on the screen after I submitted the form.

Your request was successfully submitted to Microsoft. A Microsoft Professional will respond to you via e-mail within 8 business hours.

Potentially 8 hours?? That is ludicrous! I will update this entry when I actually get the hotfix. But keep this in mind if you think it will save you some time.

If you’ve used this, please share your results.

Update: I finally got the hotfix at 2:25p.m. Took 3 1/2 hours to arrive. Looks like I’ll still be calling when I need one.