Updated: June 1, 2026 (July 8, 2025)

Windows Server 2025 Hotpatching Available as a Subscription

Jim leads the Directions on Microsoft editorial team and has been writing about technology since the early 1990s. Most recently... more

Windows Server 2025 hotpatching, enabling security update patches without reboots, is generally available as of July 2025.

It allows hotpatching of Windows Server 2025 outside of Azure hosting, including on-premises and at third-party hosters.

Hotpatches cover only the OS and do not eliminate reboots for quarterly baseline updates or unscheduled security updates.

~~Hotpatching on Windows Server 2025 requires a paid subscription, unlike Windows Server Azure Edition.~~

Effective May 15, 2026, there is no additional cost for Windows Server 2025 hotpatching.

Windows Server 2025 hotpatching, which was available as a no-cost preview beginning in late 2024, is generally available. Hotpatching enables planned security updates without reboots, which can result in faster update deployment and reduced maintenance downtime. Previously, hotpatching was available only for Windows Server Azure Edition running in Azure hosting environments like Azure VMs and Azure Local. This feature brings hotpatching to all editions of Windows Server 2025 running on bare metal, on other hypervisors, and in third-party hosting. However, Windows Server 2025 hotpatching requires Arc enrollment and systems still need conventional baseline updates and reboots at least quarterly.

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