Hotpatch Windows with Fewer Reboots: In Preview

• Organizations can deploy Windows client OS Hotpatches, which are specialized instances of the monthly B release (Patch Tuesday) without rebooting devices.
• Patching Windows with fewer reboots could streamline update deployment and improve security.
• To hotpatch Windows devices, the devices must be running the correct version and baseline of the OS, have enabled Virtualization Based Security (VBS), be enrolled for Autopatch, and periodically (generally quarterly) establish a new OS baseline.

Deploying Patch Tuesday updates to Windows devices with fewer reboots—called hotpatching—could streamline update deployment. Security could be improved as hotpatching facilitates timely distribution and installation of security updates. Hotpatch, currently in preview, extends Windows Update and Autopatch functionality, and has few prerequisites. However, its usefulness will depend on Microsoft having the discipline to ensure OS baselines are regularly available and hotpatches are limited to mostly quality, and not feature, updates.