Configure Windows Update for Business policies in Intune or Group Policy by setting update rings, deferring quality and feature updates, and assigning policies to device groups, always testing first on a pilot group. 2. Use update rings—Pilot, Broad Deployment, and Lagging—to stagger rollouts and reduce risk by validating updates progressively. 3. Monitor compliance and update status via Intune’s Windows Update Compliance reports or Windows Event Logs and PowerShell on devices, and set up alerts for failures. 4. Schedule updates using Active Hours, maintenance windows, and reboot controls to minimize user disruption, allowing postponement with grace periods. Key tips include avoiding maximum deferral to reduce security risks, regularly reviewing policies, using dynamic Azure AD groups for targeting, and balancing security, stability, and productivity by starting small, deferring wisely, monitoring closely, and scaling gradually.

Windows Update for Business (WUfB) is a set of tools in Microsoft Endpoint Manager (Intune) and Group Policy that helps organizations manage updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices without needing a full WSUS or Configuration Manager setup. It gives you more control over when and how updates are delivered, reducing downtime and improving security.

Here’s how to use Windows Update for Business policies effectively:

1. Set Up Update Policies via Intune or Group Policy

You can configure WUfB using either Microsoft Intune (cloud-based) or Group Policy (on-premises). Most modern organizations use Intune for better scalability and integration with other cloud services.

In Microsoft Intune:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center.
2. Go to Devices > Windows > Windows Update for Business.
3. Click Create Policy, choose the profile type (e.g., All Windows 10 and later), and name it.
4. Under Update settings, configure:
   • Update ring: Choose how devices receive updates (e.g., Insider, Preview, Broad, etc.).
   • Defer quality updates: Delay non-security updates by up to 30 days.
   • Defer feature updates: Delay major OS upgrades by up to 365 days.
   • Pause updates: Temporarily stop updates for up to 35 days.
5. Assign the policy to device groups (e.g., Pilot group first, then production).

Using Group Policy (on-prem):

1. Open Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).
2. Edit or create a GPO linked to your target OUs.
3. Navigate to:
   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business
4. Configure settings like:
   • "Defer Quality Updates" – set deferral days.
   • "Defer Feature Updates" – set deferral period.
   • "Flight Ring" – control update rollout timing.
5. Run gpupdate /force on test machines to apply.

? Best practice: Always test policies on a small pilot group before rolling out company-wide.

2. Use Update Rings to Stagger Rollouts

WUfB lets you define update rings to control the pace of deployment. This reduces risk by catching issues early.

• Pilot Ring (Early Adopters): Get updates shortly after release. Use for testing.
• Broad Deployment Ring: Receive updates after a delay (e.g., 14–30 days).
• Lagging Ring: Highly restricted; only updated after thorough validation.

In Intune, you create separate policies for each ring and assign them to different Azure AD groups based on department, device type, or user role.

3. Monitor Compliance and Update Status

After deploying policies, monitor how devices are responding.

In Intune:

• Go to Devices > Monitor > Windows Update Compliance.
• View reports showing:
  • Number of devices pending updates.
  • Devices with failed updates.
  • Feature and quality update compliance.
• Set up alerts for update failures or non-compliance.

Using Windows Event Logs (on devices):

• Check Event Viewer > Applications > Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdateClient for errors.
• Use PowerShell:

  Get-WindowsUpdateLog

  to generate a detailed update log.

4. Combine with Maintenance Windows and Reboot Controls

Avoid disrupting users by scheduling updates during off-hours.

• In Intune policies, set Active Hours (e.g., 8 AM – 8 PM) so reboots don’t happen during work.
• Use Maintenance Windows in Configuration Manager (if used alongside).
• Enable Reboot reminders and grace periods (e.g., allow users to postpone 1–3 reboots).

Key Tips:

• ?? Never defer both feature and quality updates to maximum values—this increases security risk.
• ? Regularly review and update your policies as new Windows versions are released.
• ? Use dynamic Azure AD groups based on device tags or OS version for easier targeting.

Using Windows Update for Business well means balancing security, stability, and user productivity. With proper policy design and monitoring, you can automate updates confidently across your fleet.

Basically: start small, defer wisely, monitor closely, and scale gradually.

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