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Windows Update Ring Rollout Best Practices for Intune
This comprehensive guide outlines the best practices for implementing a staged Windows Update deployment strategy using Microsoft Intune. By leveraging update rings and device groups, IT administrators can systematically roll out updates while minimizing disruption and maintaining system security.
This document covers device grouping strategies, configuration settings for update rings, feature update deployment, user experience considerations, monitoring procedures, rollback capabilities, and continuous improvement practices.
Follow these guidelines to create a robust, controlled, and user-friendly Windows update management system for your organization.
Last Updated:
July 2025
Establish Device Grouping Strategy
A well-structured device grouping strategy forms the foundation of effective Windows update management. By categorizing devices into distinct deployment rings, you can control update velocity and limit potential disruption while maintaining security compliance.
1
Ring 0 – Canary/Pilot Group
This critical first-line testing group should comprise approximately 1-5% of your device fleet. Include IT staff, power users, and technical testers who can provide immediate feedback on update behavior and compatibility issues.
  • Deploy to technical staff who understand troubleshooting
  • Use devices that represent your hardware/software ecosystem
  • Include multiple departments to test diverse workloads
2
Ring 1 – Early Adopters
Expanding to 10-20% of devices, this ring includes users with higher technical aptitude and departments that can tolerate minor disruptions for the benefit of early feature access.
  • Include technology-forward departments (IT, development, digital marketing)
  • Select users who have expressed interest in new features
  • Ensure representation across critical business applications
3
Ring 2 – Broad Deployment
Containing the majority (70-85%) of your device fleet, this ring represents your general user population who receive updates after thorough validation in earlier rings.
  • Include standard business users across all departments
  • Deploy after confirming stability in Rings 0 and 1
  • Schedule deployments to avoid critical business periods
4
Ring 3 – Sensitive/Executive Devices
An optional ring for devices that require maximum stability and minimal disruption, such as executive laptops or mission-critical workstations.
  • Deploy with extended deferral periods
  • Consider manual approval for critical systems
  • Provide white-glove support during update cycles

Dynamic Group Implementation: Leverage Entra ID dynamic device groups to automate ring membership using properties like device name prefixes (e.g., IT-*, EXEC-*), department attributes, or custom extension attributes that specify deployment ring values. This reduces manual group maintenance and ensures devices automatically flow to appropriate rings.
Configure Update Rings per Group
Once your device groups are established, you'll need to configure specific update ring profiles in Intune that align with your deployment strategy. Each ring should have carefully calibrated settings that balance security, stability, and user experience.
In addition to these basic settings, consider configuring these important parameters for a balanced approach:
Additional Update Ring Settings
  • Active Hours: Configure to match typical work patterns (e.g., 8 AM to 6 PM) to prevent disruption during productive hours
  • Update Notifications: Enable end-user notifications with appropriate messaging based on ring membership
  • Power Management: Enable automatic wake-up for updates to ensure devices can receive updates outside work hours
Critical Considerations
  • Maintenance Windows: Align update deployments with organizational maintenance windows when possible
  • Bandwidth Control: Configure Delivery Optimization settings to manage network impact during update deployments
  • VPN Scenarios: Consider settings for remote/VPN users who may have bandwidth limitations

Never set all devices to receive updates simultaneously. Staggered deployment is essential for identifying and containing potential issues before they affect your entire organization. Maintain at least a 7-day gap between Ring 0 and Ring 2 deployments to allow for proper validation and issue identification.
Deploy Feature Updates Separately
While Update Rings manage the timing of updates, Feature Update policies provide precise control over which Windows versions are deployed to your environment. By separating feature update management from regular quality updates, you gain granular control over major version transitions.
1
Create Feature Update Policy
In Intune, navigate to Devices > Windows > Windows Updates > Feature Updates to create policies that target specific Windows versions (e.g., Windows 11 23H2).
2
Align with Ring Strategy
Assign feature update policies to the same groups used in your update ring strategy to maintain consistency in your deployment approach.
3
Test in Ring 0
Deploy the feature update to Ring 0 devices first, then monitor for at least one week before proceeding to subsequent rings.
4
Expand Deployment
Gradually expand to Ring 1, Ring 2, and finally Ring 3 (if applicable), with appropriate validation periods between each expansion.
Feature Update Policy Benefits
Version Control
Feature Update policies allow you to specify exactly which Windows version devices should receive, preventing unexpected version jumps that might occur with Update Rings alone. This is particularly important when skipping problematic versions or when standardizing on specific builds for compatibility reasons.
Prerequisite Checking
Feature Update policies perform advanced compatibility checking before attempting installation, reducing the risk of failed updates. This includes hardware compatibility, storage requirements, and application compatibility checks that might not be performed with standard update rings.

For major Windows version upgrades (e.g., Windows 10 to Windows 11), consider creating a separate test group outside your standard rings to validate the upgrade experience before incorporating it into your regular update strategy. This special validation group should include devices with varying hardware specifications and critical line-of-business applications.
User Experience Considerations
A successful Windows update strategy balances security and compliance needs with user productivity and satisfaction. Implementing thoughtful user experience considerations will significantly reduce update-related disruptions and support tickets.
End-user Communication Plan
  • Provide advance notice of update schedules via email, intranet, or Teams announcements
  • Create brief educational materials explaining the update process and expected behaviors
  • Include screenshots of update notifications so users recognize legitimate prompts
  • Clearly communicate helpdesk contact information for update-related issues
  • Consider specialized messaging for each ring to set appropriate expectations
Graceful Reboot Experience
  • Configure appropriate deferral options based on user role and device criticality
  • Implement "deadline with grace period" to enforce updates while respecting user workflow
  • Enable auto-save features in supported applications to prevent data loss
  • Configure active hours to align with typical work schedules (customized by department if possible)
  • For critical systems, consider manual or scheduled update installation with IT support
Update Notifications
  • Enable Windows toast notifications with clear, branded messaging
  • Consider custom notification solutions for critical updates or major feature releases
  • Provide estimated time frames for update installation in communications
  • Include progress indicators and status updates during lengthy installations
  • Offer guidance on optimal times to install updates (e.g., end of day before leaving)
Balancing Control and Flexibility
The most effective update experiences provide users with appropriate control while still ensuring updates are applied within security timeframes. Consider implementing a tiered approach where standard users receive deferrals of up to 7 days, while executive or specialized roles might receive extended deferral options of up to 14 days. Always pair these extended deferrals with firm deadlines to ensure security compliance.
For feature updates that require longer installation times, consider enabling automatic installation but allowing user control over the restart timing. This approach minimizes active disruption while ensuring the update process completes successfully.
Monitoring & Validation
Robust monitoring and validation processes are essential for ensuring update success and quickly identifying potential issues. Implementing a comprehensive monitoring strategy helps IT teams maintain visibility across the update lifecycle.
Monitoring Tools and Resources
Leverage these key monitoring capabilities to track update deployment progress and health:
  • Intune Reports: Use built-in reporting for Windows Updates and Feature Update failures to track deployment status and identify problem devices
  • Update Compliance: Enable this Microsoft service to gain enhanced visibility into update health, compliance status, and deployment progress
  • Log Analytics/Azure Monitor: For advanced environments, implement custom queries and dashboards to track update-related metrics
  • Windows Event Logs: Configure centralized event log collection for update-related events (Event IDs 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 41, 44)
Validation Process
1
Pre-Deployment Validation
Before expanding beyond Ring 0, verify:
  • Line-of-business application compatibility
  • Hardware driver functionality
  • VPN and security tool compatibility
  • Network performance during update download
2
Ring 0 Monitoring
During pilot deployment, monitor:
  • Update installation success rate (target >95%)
  • Post-update system performance
  • User-reported issues and feedback
  • Help desk ticket volume related to updates
3
Ring 1 Validation
Before proceeding to broad deployment:
  • Confirm no significant issues emerged in early adopter group
  • Verify all critical business processes function properly
  • Check for unexpected battery/performance impacts
  • Review user feedback for common concerns
4
Full Deployment Review
After complete rollout:
  • Document lessons learned and process improvements
  • Update baseline images with new build
  • Verify compliance status across all devices
  • Address any remaining update failures

Set clear success criteria and establish thresholds for pausing broader deployment. For example, if update failures exceed 5% in Ring 0 or if any critical LOB application reports compatibility issues, pause the deployment to subsequent rings until resolved.
Rollback & Issue Response
Despite careful planning and testing, updates may occasionally cause unexpected issues that require prompt intervention. Having well-defined rollback and issue response procedures is essential for minimizing business impact and restoring system stability.
Feature Update Rollback Options
Windows provides built-in mechanisms for reverting feature updates that cause significant issues. By default, Windows preserves rollback capability for 10 days after a feature update, though this can be extended to up to 60 days with appropriate policies. Configure these settings in Intune under Configuration Profiles > "Update > Windows Update > Recovery".
1
Immediate Response Procedures
  • Establish a dedicated update emergency response team with clearly defined roles
  • Create an update-specific incident response template in your ticketing system
  • Maintain up-to-date contact information for key stakeholders and vendors
  • Document clear escalation paths based on impact severity
2
Pause Update Deployment
  • Configure "Pause Updates" policy for affected rings (up to 35 days)
  • Communicate pause status to affected users and support teams
  • Monitor Microsoft release health dashboard for official issue acknowledgment
  • Document pause reason and expected resolution timeline
3
Individual Device Rollback
  • Use "go back to the previous version" option in Windows Settings
  • Deploy rollback script via Intune Remediation Scripts for widespread issues
  • Document pre/post rollback configuration requirements
  • Verify application functionality after rollback completion
4
Enterprise Rollback
  • Create dedicated Intune policies to target and rollback affected devices
  • Establish criteria for organization-wide rollback decisions
  • Prepare communication templates for enterprise rollback scenarios
  • Conduct post-mortem analysis to prevent future occurrences

Critical applications may require reinstallation or reconfiguration after a feature update rollback. Document application-specific post-rollback procedures for your key business systems and test these procedures regularly during update testing cycles.
For quality updates (monthly security patches) that cannot be rolled back using built-in Windows tools, maintain system restore points or backup solutions that can be deployed via Intune for critical systems. In extreme cases, you may need to leverage Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) or deployment tools to restore system stability.
Review and Adjust Regularly
Windows update management is not a "set and forget" process. Microsoft regularly evolves both Windows update capabilities and Intune management features, requiring IT administrators to periodically review and refine their update strategy. Implementing a structured review process ensures your update approach remains effective and aligned with organizational needs.
Collect Metrics
Gather data on update success rates, deployment timelines, and user impact across all rings. Track key metrics like installation failure percentage, average time to complete updates, and help desk tickets related to updates.
Gather Feedback
Solicit input from users, support teams, and IT staff about the update experience. Consider periodic surveys, focus groups with power users, and reviews of help desk trends.
Adjust Policies
Fine-tune update ring configurations based on observed performance and feedback. This may include modifying deferral periods, restart behaviors, or active hours settings to better align with business needs.
Test Changes
Implement policy adjustments in Ring 0 first, then validate before applying to broader rings. Document the impact of changes for future reference.
Scheduled Review Cadence

As your update management matures, consider implementing more advanced approaches such as automated pre-update application testing, custom user notification systems, or integration with your configuration management database (CMDB) to better track update impacts across your technology ecosystem.
Finally, stay informed about Microsoft's roadmap for Windows and Intune. Major changes to update mechanisms, new management capabilities, or feature deprecations can significantly impact your update strategy. Allocate time for IT staff to participate in preview programs, attend Microsoft events, or engage with the broader Windows management community to stay ahead of upcoming changes.
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