How to make the most of Windows Autopatch with Intune

Patching remains a cornerstone responsibility for IT departments, essential for safeguarding organizational data. To bolster their security posture, IT administrators can leverage tools like Windows Autopatch, which streamlines the patch management process and minimizes security vulnerabilities, particularly for Windows devices that are prevalent in business environments and often targeted by malware.

What is Windows Autopatch?

Windows Autopatch is a cloud-based service from Microsoft designed to automate the update management process for Windows, Microsoft 365 applications, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Teams. This service aims to enhance both security and productivity by ensuring that the organizational environment remains current. Keeping systems updated is crucial, as it reduces the risk of ransomware attacks and other cybersecurity threats. Ultimately, the security of an organization is only as robust as its weakest link.

Microsoft offers various patch management solutions tailored for cloud-native endpoints, all anchored in Windows Update for Business and Microsoft Intune. Windows Update for Business allows administrators to connect Windows devices directly to the Windows Update service while still utilizing management platforms like Microsoft Intune to oversee update behaviors. However, IT administrators must configure these update behaviors and dedicate time each month to ensure the process functions smoothly. To provide enhanced control over update approvals, scheduling, and security, Microsoft has introduced Windows Update for Business deployment services, which Windows Autopatch fully utilizes.

Moreover, Windows Autopatch integrates an automated layer within Microsoft Intune, managing the complete patch management cycle for Windows, Microsoft 365 applications, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Teams. This automation equips IT administrators with a configuration framework that ensures all products receive timely patches each month, allowing for the grouping and configuration of devices to facilitate a gradual rollout of updates.

What are the most important features of Windows Autopatch?

Before organizations can harness the benefits of Windows Autopatch, they must acquire the necessary licensing as it is an add-on product. Once this is established, the configuration framework becomes accessible within Microsoft Intune. IT administrators must also ensure that devices are fully registered, which can be accomplished through the Windows Autopatch device registration group or a custom group set up by the IT team.

Once registered, devices enter the release management cycle associated with their designated registration group. This cycle encompasses the configuration of various deployment rings. Within this framework, two critical areas influence the monthly update schedule:

1. Deployment rings and distribution: These settings guide IT in determining the percentage of registered Windows devices included in specific deployment rings. Adjustments to the number of deployment rings can be made as necessary. The Test and Last deployment rings require manual configuration due to their unique roles—Test for early exceptions and Last for those that should be updated last.
2. Windows update settings: These configurations dictate the overall update behavior within a deployment ring, focusing on update cadence and deferral, which together establish when updates are available and mandatory.

In addition to these configurations, IT can utilize more generic release settings to enable expedited quality updates, Microsoft 365 app updates, and Windows driver updates.

Windows Autopatch relies on Microsoft Intune for many functions, including the deployment of the actual configurations to registered Windows devices.

Reporting capabilities within Windows Autopatch are also noteworthy, offering valuable insights into update deployment status and providing email notifications to keep IT administrators informed about the availability and installation status of new updates.

How are the Windows Autopatch configurations applied?

For effective management of Windows system updates, IT administrators must understand how Autopatch applies configurations to Windows devices. Windows Autopatch depends on Microsoft Intune for numerous functions, including the deployment of configurations to registered devices.

Windows Autopatch is tasked with creating configuration profiles that sort and manage the necessary data collection on Windows devices, as well as the update behavior for Microsoft Edge and Microsoft 365 apps. This process also involves establishing update deployment rings for these applications.

In addition to device configuration profiles focused on Microsoft apps, there are deployment profiles for monthly Windows updates and yearly feature updates. The latter profiles are typically conservative by default and may require adjustments to align with an organization’s feature update strategy.

Peter van der Woude works as a mobility consultant and possesses extensive knowledge of ConfigMgr and Microsoft Intune tools. He is recognized as a Microsoft MVP and is regarded as an expert in Windows technologies.