What should administrators do after learning that a vendor has released a patch that is relevant for servers they manage?

Configure devices for the appropriate service channel

With Windows Update for Business, you can set a device to be on either Windows Insider Preview or the General Availability Channel servicing branch. For more information on this servicing model, see Servicing channels.

Release branch policies

Starting with Windows 10, version 1703, users can configure the branch readiness level for their device by using Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Advanced options.

Note

Users will not be able to change this setting if it was configured by policy.

Configure when devices receive feature updates

After you configure the servicing branch [Windows Insider Preview or General Availability Channel], you can then define if, and for how long, you would like to defer receiving feature updates following their availability from Microsoft on Windows Update. You can defer receiving these feature updates for a period of up to 365 days from their release by setting the DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodinDays value.

For example, a device on the General Availability Channel with DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodinDays=30 will not install a feature update that is first publicly available on Windows Update in September until 30 days later, in October.

Policy settings for deferring feature updates

Note

If not configured by policy, individual users can defer feature updates by using Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Advanced options.

Pause feature updates

You can also pause a device from receiving feature updates by a period of up to 35 days from when the value is set. After 35 days has passed, the pause setting will automatically expire and the device will scan Windows Update for applicable feature updates. Following this scan, you can then pause feature updates for the device again.

Starting with Windows 10, version 1703, when you configure a pause by using policy, you must set a start date for the pause to begin. The pause period is calculated by adding 35 days to this start date.

In cases where the pause policy is first applied after the configured start date has passed, you can extend the pause period up to a total of 35 days by configuring a later start date.

Important

In Windows 10, version 1703 and later versions, you can pause feature updates to 35 days, similar to the number of days for quality updates.

Policy settings for pausing feature updates

You can check the date that feature updates were paused by checking the registry key PausedFeatureDate under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UpdatePolicy\Settings.

The local group policy editor [GPEdit.msc] will not reflect whether the feature update pause period has expired. Although the device will resume feature updates after 35 days automatically, the pause check box will remain selected in the policy editor. To check whether a device has automatically resumed taking feature updates, check the status registry key PausedFeatureStatus under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UpdatePolicy\Settings for the following values:

Note

If not configured by policy, individual users can pause feature updates by using Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Advanced options.

Starting with Windows 10, version 1703, using Settings to control the pause behavior provides a more consistent experience, specifically:

• Any active restart notification are cleared or closed.
• Any pending restarts are canceled.
• Any pending update installations are canceled.
• Any update installation running when pause is activated will attempt to roll back.

Configure when devices receive quality updates

Quality updates are typically published on the second Tuesday of every month, although they can be released at any time. You can define if, and for how long, you would like to defer receiving quality updates following their availability. You can defer receiving these quality updates for a period of up to 30 days from their release by setting the DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodinDays value.

You can set your system to receive updates for other Microsoft products—known as Microsoft updates [such as Microsoft Office, Visual Studio]—along with Windows updates by setting the AllowMUUpdateService policy. When you do this, these Microsoft updates will follow the same deferral and pause rules as all other quality updates.

Policy settings for deferring quality updates

Note

If not configured by policy, individual users can defer quality updates by using Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Advanced options.

Pause quality updates

You can also pause a system from receiving quality updates for a period of up to 35 days from when the value is set. After 35 days have passed, the pause setting will automatically expire and the device will scan Windows Update for applicable quality updates. Following this scan, you can then pause quality updates for the device again.

Starting with Windows 10, version 1703, when you configure a pause by using policy, you must set a start date for the pause to begin. The pause period is calculated by adding 35 days to this start date.

In cases where the pause policy is first applied after the configured start date has passed, you can extend the pause period up to a total of 35 days by configuring a later start date.

Note

Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, IT administrators can prevent individual users from pausing updates.

Policy settings for pausing quality updates

You can check the date that quality updates were paused by checking the registry key PausedQualityDate under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UpdatePolicy\Settings.

The local group policy editor [GPEdit.msc] will not reflect whether the quality update pause period has expired. Although the device will resume quality updates after 35 days automatically, the pause check box will remain selected in the policy editor. To check whether a device has automatically resumed taking quality Updates, check the status registry key PausedQualityStatus under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UpdatePolicy\Settings for the following values:

Note

If not configured by policy, individual users can pause quality updates by using Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Advanced options.

Starting with Windows 10, version 1703, using Settings to control the pause behavior provides a more consistent experience, specifically:

• Any active restart notification are cleared or closed
• Any pending restarts are canceled
• Any pending update installations are canceled
• Any update installation running when pause is activated will attempt to rollback

Configure when devices receive Windows Insider Preview builds

Starting with Windows 10, version 1709, you can set policies to manage preview builds and their delivery:

The Manage preview builds setting gives administrators control over enabling or disabling preview build installation on a device. You can also decide to stop preview builds once the release is public.

• Group Policy: Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Update/Windows Update for Business - Manage preview builds
• MDM: Update/ManagePreviewBuilds
• Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager: Enable dual scan, manage through Windows Update for Business policy

Important

This policy replaces the "Toggle user control over Insider builds" policy under that is only supported up to Windows 10, version 1703. You can find the older policy here:

• Group Policy: Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Data Collection and Preview Builds/Toggle user control over Insider builds
• MDM: System/AllowBuildPreview

The policy settings to Select when feature updates are received allows you to choose between preview flight rings, and allows you to defer or pause their delivery.

• Group Policy: Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Update/ Windows Update for Business - Select when Preview Builds and feature updates are received
• MDM: Update/BranchReadinessLevel

Exclude drivers from quality updates

Starting with Windows 10, version 1607, you can selectively opt out of receiving driver update packages as part of your normal quality update cycle. This policy will not apply to updates to drivers provided with the operating system [which will be packaged within a security or critical update] or to feature updates, where drivers might be dynamically installed to ensure the feature update process can complete.

Policy settings to exclude drivers

Summary: MDM and Group Policy settings for Windows 10, version 1703 and later

The following are quick-reference tables of the supported policy values for Windows Update for Business in Windows 10, version 1607 and later.

GPO: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate

MDM: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Update

Update devices to newer versions

Due to the changes in Windows Update for Business, Windows 10, version 1607 uses different GPO and MDM keys than those available in version 1511. Windows 10, version 1703 also uses a few GPO and MDM keys that are different from those available in version 1607. However, Windows Update for Business devices running older versions will still see their policies honored after they update to a newer version; the old policy keys will continue to exist with their values ported forward during the update. Following the update to a newer version, only the old keys will be populated and not the new version keys, until the newer keys are explicitly defined on the device by the administrator.

How older version policies are respected on newer versions

When a device running a newer version sees an update available on Windows Update, the device first evaluates and executes the Windows Updates for Business policy keys for its current [newer] version. If these are not present, it then checks whether any of the older version keys are set and defer accordingly. Update keys for newer versions will always supersede the older equivalent.

Comparing keys in Windows 10, version 1607 to Windows 10, version 1703