Windows Patch Management

Windows patch management (or Windows patching) is the process of managing patches for Windows, from scanning for and detecting missing patches to downloading and deploying them. Using a patch management solution, the entire Windows patch management process can be automated, so you don't need to go around to every computer and manually check whether all missing patches were identified and applied. Many Windows patch management tools also generate reports for you to confirm whether Windows patches have been deployed properly.

Patch Manager Plus' Windows patch management software features:

1. Supports deployment of Feature Packs.

   Patch Manager Plus supports the installation of Feature Packs for Windows OS. Each Windows 10 update comes with a lot of new features and enhancements to make a user's life easier. Patch Manager Plus automatically installs any dependency files before installing a Feature Pack.

2. Deploy Microsoft antivirus definition updates

   If you're running Microsoft Client Security on your network computers, Patch Manager Plus automates the antivirus definition update mechanism. Patch Manager Plus' APD options help you schedule how frequently your systems are scanned and configured for virus definition updates.

3. Windows Rollup updates

   Ever since Microsoft announced changing the Patch Tuesday structure in Oct 2016 for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, IT admins feared if this change in Windows update model will turn to be a disaster. But with Patch Manager Plus you can deploy monthly windows roll-up updates with ease.

Supported versions

Patch Manager Plus' Windows patch management feature supports the following versions:

Windows OS

• Windows 11
• Windows 10
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 8
• Windows 7
• Windows Vista

Windows Server OS

• Windows Server 2022
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2012
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 2008

Patching Windows with Patch Manager Plus.

Microsoft Windows is the most widely-used OS, but manually applying Windows updates to all endpoints in a network can be a headache. What's more, deploying Feature Packs in particular can be tricky, as you have to download the dependency files first and then deploy the Feature Pack. To simplify the patching process, you can use a patch management software to automatically patch your enterprise network. Patch management software creates a consistently configured environment that is secure against known vulnerabilities found in Windows and your applications.

Our patch management software, Patch Manager Plus, handles every aspect of Windows patch management, from detecting and installing Windows updates, hotfixes, rollups, and security updates to defending Windows systems by testing patches before rolling them out to the production environment to ensure they don't cause any issues. Asside from the Windows OS, Patch Manager Plus also supports over 850 third-party applications and antivirus updates. Patch Manager Plus - a Windows server patching tool identifies which servers and workstations need to be patched. After detecting, this Windows server patching tool patches all the Windows servers and workstations in your IT environment. To know more about Windows server patching, referWindows server patch management.

How does Automated Windows patch management help your enterprise?

Patch Manager Plus automates the entire Windows patch management process with its Automated Patch Deployment (APD) feature. You can also view the System Health Status, based on the number of missing patches by using our Windows patch management tool. Managing your Windows patches with Patch Manager Plus works for both Active Directory-based and workgroup-based networks. With Patch Manager Plus, network managers can completely automate their Windows patch management efforts.

What are the benefits of Windows patch management?

Patch Manager Plus' Windows patch management features help you:

• Save time and money. With the APD feature, the whole patching process is automated, from scanning for and deploying patches, to generating patch status reports.
• Significantly increase your network's security. Many cyberattacks leverage known vulnerabilities to steal data and cause disruptions. Patch known vulnerabilities to secure your network.
• Deploy the most up-to-date patches. Keep your Windows machines running with the latest Windows patches, so you have access to new features and bug fixes.

What are the patch management best practices?

Learn how to effectively patch your network by gaining knowledge on the best practices of patch management. You can download the patch management best practices whitepaper here.

Get whitepaper

Windows patch management strategies.

To patch your Windows machines:

• First, go to the Patch Manager Plus console and navigate to Systems > Scan Systems to scan for missing patches in your network.
• Based on the severity of the missing patches, prioritize missing patches with an important or critical severity level. You should approve these patches first, allowing the APD feature to patch your machines in the next available deployment window.
• For patches with a low or moderate severity, you'll have time to test those patches in a non-production environment. If they're not found to cause any problems post-deployment, then they can be rolled out to the production environment.
• In the Patch Manager Plus console, go to Reports > System Health Report to see how your systems are performing post-deployment. The predefined patch management reports show you the patch status of your systems, among other things, allowing you to quickly ascertain the security of your network.

Click here to view the list of Microsoft applications supported by Patch Manager Plus.