Patch Update Delayed Application in Use

Problem

An application update is delayed with the error message "Patch update delayed since application is used by another process".

This article concerns an application or process that remains open during installation. For a logged-out-user detection remark, follow user-session deployment checks and verify the application owner's installation scope and sign-in state.

Cause

This issue can occur when:

• A user is logged in and the application is open on the computer.
• A web browser or another process is using the application.

Resolution

Close the application before patch installation. The agent rechecks it during refresh cycles; the default interval is 90 minutes. If it stays open throughout the deployment window, deployment records Application is Currently in Use. After it closes, installation is retried during a refresh cycle or system startup.

You can also schedule the deployment during system startup or login when the application and its related processes are not running. For supported applications installed for an individual user, see User-based vs system-based applications.

If the Windows application-in-use error persists after closure, check the next deployment attempt:

1. On the affected computer, run tasklist /v. Record the matching executable, process ID and user session. Closing a window does not confirm that its process stopped.
2. Compare the capture time with logs\dcpatchinstallaccess.log under the Windows agent installation folder. This file records the Patch ID, task, execution time, status and remark.
3. If the blocker persists, provide the process capture, Patch ID, task report, full remark and agent logs for investigation.

For Windows tasks, a pre-deployment custom script can close the application before patch installation:

1. In the deployment policy's pre-deployment activities, select your tested application-closing script. Specify its arguments and successful exit codes.
2. Configure the failure behavior to stop patch deployment if the script does not return a successful exit code.
3. Save the policy and use it for the intended patch task. Ask users to save their work before the script closes the application.
4. Test the script and patch deployment on a test computer before deploying to other computers.

Follow the pre-deployment script instructions to configure the policy.

To force-close applications before patch deployment, deploy Patch ID 100012 from Supported Patches to the required target computers. Deploy Patch ID 100013 from Supported Patches to revert that change.

For Office Click-to-Run, this remark is controlled under Threats & Patches → Settings → Office Click-to-Run settings, not the deployment-policy notify setting. See Microsoft 365 (Office 365) Patch Deployment.