Microsoft brings hotpatch updates to Windows 11

Having already tested the waters with Windows Server for the last couple of years, Microsoft is bringing hotpatch updates to Windows 11 24H2.

The key advantage to hotpatching is that it allows for security updates to be installed without the need for a restart. This is something which is important for businesses, so it is perhaps not surprising that Microsoft is previewing hotpatch updates in Windows 11 Enterprise.

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Apart from the need to be running Windows 11 Enterprise 24H2, there are a couple of other requirements for those hoping to take advantage of restart-free hotpatching. In addition to a Microsoft subscription that includes Windows Enterprise E3 or E5 (such as Microsoft 365 A3/A5 or Microsoft 365 F3), or a Windows 365 Enterprise subscription, Microsoft Intune is needed.

In a blog post announcing the public preview of hotpatch updates for Windows 11 Enterprise, Microsoft outlines the benefits as it sees them:

Hotpatch updates are scoped and provide a complete set of OS security patches. No additional features are included. They are unique in that they take effect immediately upon installation without requiring you to restart your device, helping to ensure focused, rapid protection.

Hotpatch technology already has a proven, two-year record for Windows Server. Expanding hotpatching to Windows 11 Enterprise, version 24H2 client devices offers numerous benefits:

   •  Devices receive the same level of security patching as the standard monthly security updates released on Patch Tuesday.
   •  Hotpatch updates take effect immediately and don’t require user attention.
   •  Users maintain productivity and security without the need for a device restart.

Explaining how the process works, Microsoft says:

The first month of each quarter of the calendar year (i.e. January, April, July, and October), devices install the standard monthly security update and restart. This cumulative update contains the latest security fixes, new features, and enhancements. The following two months, devices are offered hotpatch updates, which include only security updates and install without the need to restart. At the start of the next quarter, the cycle repeats.

The change means that the number of restarts required by updates each years is reduced from 12 to just four.

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