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What changed, and when is it available?
The expanded experience is part of Windows Autopatch quality-update policy management in Microsoft Intune. It covers Windows OS quality updates, supported .NET Framework updates in applicable scenarios, and Quick machine recovery controls. Microsoft Message Center announcement MC1478956, published September 24, 2026, described a rollout that began September 1 and was expected to reach all tenants by October 15, 2026. Those dates are the schedule reported in an archive of the announcement, not confirmation that a particular organization has received the feature. Message Center announcement archive
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Microsoft’s current quality-update policy documentation describes the policy workflow. Check the Intune admin center to confirm whether the controls are available in your tenant.
How do automatic and manual approvals differ?
A quality-update policy can use a different approval method for each update category. The categories are monthly security updates, monthly non-security preview updates, out-of-band security updates, and out-of-band non-security updates. A single policy can mix automatic and manual approval. New policies default to automatic approval for monthly security updates and manual approval for the other categories. Microsoft recommends automatic approval for security updates and manual approval for optional updates; administrators can choose a different approach to match their own deployment and review requirements. Microsoft’s policy guidance
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| Approval method | How it works | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic | The update is approved for devices assigned to the policy according to its configured deferral. | You want a predictable deployment cadence, including for security updates. |
| Manual | An administrator reviews and approves the update before it is offered; there is no automatic-approval deferral to set. | You want an explicit review gate, often for optional updates. |
For automatically approved quality updates, administrators can set a deferral from 0 to 30 days after Microsoft releases an update. A deferral of 0 days means no added waiting period. For a manual category, the administrator controls when the update is offered by deciding when to approve it. An administrator can also override a deferral and approve an update immediately. Microsoft documents approval and deferral behavior
Where to manage and inspect releases in Intune
In the Intune admin center, go to Devices > Manage updates > Windows updates > Quality updates. From Manage updates, administrators can inspect a release’s severity and included KBs, see which assigned policies have approved it or need review, and approve selected policies. The same area supports pausing an individual release. Microsoft’s documented workflow
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What pausing a release does—and does not do
Pausing revokes approval for that specific release so that new devices stop receiving it. It does not uninstall the update from devices where it is already installed, and it does not pause other releases. Devices can take up to eight hours to apply a new pause or resume instruction, so the change is not necessarily immediate across the fleet. Microsoft’s pause guidance
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Quick machine recovery (QMR) settings can be configured in the same quality-update policy. They determine whether affected devices can receive a Microsoft-provided remediation fix when a boot-critical issue occurs. Administrators can choose automatic approval or manual review for applicable fixes. Microsoft’s QMR policy documentation
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The September 2026 announcement archive describes a QMR status report with affected devices, remediation status, applicable fix version, release date, assigned quality-update policy, and OS version. It also describes quality-update reporting with device-level information such as target compliance, targeted and installed updates, assigned policies, readiness, alerts, and hotpatch information. These report fields are listed in the archived announcement; Microsoft’s current quality-update policy page does not independently enumerate all of them. Message Center announcement archive
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.NET Framework and Windows 10 ESU
Support for .NET Framework updates in this policy experience is limited by device and update type. Windows 11 devices added to the policy follow the .NET Framework quality-update policy experience. Windows 10 devices enrolled in Extended Security Updates (ESU) continue to receive .NET Framework updates through Windows Update according to client-side settings; the Intune quality-update approval applies to their OS quality updates, and a .NET Framework update may trigger a separate restart. .NET Framework 3.5 updates are excluded from this workflow. Microsoft’s policy documentation and its .NET Framework guidance
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Windows Insider devices
Windows Insider build devices added to an approval policy are not enrolled in Windows Autopatch for quality updates, so the policy’s approval settings do not apply to them. Microsoft’s policy documentation
When policies overlap
For approval settings and deferrals, a cloud-based quality-update policy takes precedence over Windows Update ring policies and client-side configuration service provider settings when both govern a device. If multiple cloud-based quality-update policies apply, the latest-release policy takes precedence. Deadlines and grace periods configured in update rings continue to apply. Microsoft’s precedence guidance
Changing approval methods
You cannot edit the approval method on an existing quality-update policy. To change it, create a new policy and configure the desired approval method. Microsoft’s policy documentation
Quick Recap
What administrators should decide before deploying
- Choose an approval method separately for each update category, rather than assuming one setting governs every release type.
- For automatic categories, set a deferral that fits your operational cadence; for manual categories, plan who reviews releases and when they will approve them.
- Decide whether QMR fixes should be automatically approved or held for review.
- Check whether assigned devices are Windows 11, Windows 10 ESU, or Insider builds before relying on the .NET Framework or Autopatch behavior.
- When pausing a release, account for already-installed updates and the time needed for pause instructions to reach devices.
- Verify policy assignments and precedence where quality-update policies and update rings overlap.
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