Forum Discussion
Intune: Windows & MS365 Apps Updating
Pardon the noobness... I am new (ish) to MS365 Admin and Endpoint management. I see that I can keep the OS updated and MS 365 Apps update using 2 different methods.
- I can use the Settings Catalog (Intune->Devices->Windows->Configuration) to update MS 365 Apps and ((Intune->Devices->Windows->Windows Updates) to update the OS.
- I just learned about MS AutoPatch (Intune->Tennant Administration->Windows AutoPatch) to keep both updated.
My question is which is preferred at this point? The AutoPatch option seems a bit easier to configure maybe?
Looking for advice...
J
2 Replies
Would vote Windows Autopatch:
- Easier to configure and manage
- Safer (has rollback mechanisms if updates cause trouble)
- Continuously maintained by Microsoft with fewer manual touchpointsHi,
both configurations work well.
Maybe you should look at it under the point of responsibility:
1) Update Rings and Configuration Policy: the configuration is completely done by you and you have full control.
2) AutoPatch: You do the initial setup. The rest is done by Microsoft. Here you do not have any influence on all settings.
Update Rings
Purpose: Control how and when Windows updates are delivered to devices.
Use case Configure Windows Update for Business settings like deferral periods, restart behavior, active hours.
Granularity Per-device or per-user targeting.
Control You set when updates install, deadlines, and user experience (e.g., allow user to pause updates).
Examples Create multiple rings: Fast (0-day deferral), Broad (7-day deferral), and Late (30-day deferral).
Autopatch:
Purpose: A fully-managed service by Microsoft to automate Windows updates across rings (devices groups) - no manual update ring creation needed.
Use case Organizations that want Microsoft to manage Windows update deployment automatically.
Rings Microsoft automatically assigns devices into four rings: Test, First, Fast, Broad.
Includes Windows updates, Microsoft 365 apps updates, Microsoft Edge, Teams.
Control Less control, but less overhead. You trust Microsoft's logic and telemetry.
Good for Mid-large enterprises, or those who want to reduce update management overhe
BR
