I very frequently get emails like the one I got this morning:
"It sounds like the hotfix for kb946644 may resolve a problem we've been having for some time in .Net 2.0.
How, exactly, can we get this hotfix? Can you provide it?"
This particular hotfix was one i blogged about here, regarding a deadlock with the GC when using XmlSchemaSet.Add... but the answer will be the same for any hotfix.
Many new hotfixes in the Visual Studio or .net framework area are available for public download by the Visual Studio and .NET Framework Public Availability Program.
If the particular hotfix you are looking for (like this one) is not available there, you need to open a support case and the reason for this is that we want to keep track who gets certain hotfixes in case there is an issue that we need to inform the customers about. If you open a support case to get a hotfix this case will of course be free of charge, however if the fix does not resolve the issue and further troubleshooting is neccessary you will be given the option to troubleshoot it further in a regular support case.