Intel Visual Fortran Compiler of Windows 2017 Update 7

[Stephen_Sutcliffe]

Has anyone got any idea what has changed in this update? The release notes don't even list it.

[IanH]

I'll speculate that it has something to do with speculation.

(The email with the update notification confirms it:

• This update can be installed even if your support service has expired using your existing Serial Number.
• Intel® Fortran Compiler provides new options to mitigate branch target injection. )

[Steve_Lionel · Accepted solution]

Intel, for many years, has released one final update of an older version some time after a newer one was released. I agree with Ian that this probably is related to https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/using-intel-compilers-to-mitigate-speculative-execution-side-channel-issues , but the discontinuance of "ReadMe" files means that you're unlikely to know just what the changes are.  I see that the release notes haven't been published online.