Windows’ automated update service will warn you from May when your license is about to expire. Microsoft is also announcing new features for Windows Autopatch.
Microsoft rolled out Windows Autopatch in the summer of 2022. Companies that sign up for the service no longer have to worry about performing patches. On every second Tuesday of the month, renamed Patch Tuesday, Windows automatically pulls in available security updates. This saves the IT administrator a lot of manual work and should ensure that companies no longer postpone critical updates.
Microsoft is building on this service with new announcements, which it reveals in the Windows Message Center. Starting in May, Autopatch will warn IT admins if they need to take actions to “maintain the overall health of the operating system.” This means that, for example, you will receive a warning when your license is about to expire, which can stop the Autopatch service.
Autopatch now also remedies any access problems to the service. Tenants can be temporarily set to inactive until the suggested actions are taken. This avoids immediate suspension of Autopatch when the license expires. below Windows Autopatch Devices the administrator will see which actions are requested.
Administrators can now also set up Autopatch groups to better adapt update management to organizational structures and objectives. The reporting menu now also provides more insight into the update status, so that organizations are also more quickly alerted of any bugs when installing the updates.
These features are available in preview through Intune and will be rolled out more widely starting in May. You will find a complete overview of the innovations to Windows Autopatch here back.
