We’re excited to announce that starting April 2022, we will be making monthly updates for modern .NET (.NET Core) available for server operating systems via Microsoft Update (MU) on an opt-in basis.
If you do not want to have your servers updated automatically for you no action is required. If on the other hand you do want to leverage this for your servers review continue reading below.
There is no change for client operating systems which will continue to receive updates via Automatic Updates, WSUS, and MU Catalog as earlier.
More Information
Updates for supported versions of .NET Core 3.1, .NET 5.0 and .NET 6.0 are currently offered to server operating systems via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Microsoft Update Catalog but not the Automatic Updates (AU) channel. You can now get your server operating system automatically updated by opting in for this behavior.
Opting in
You can opt in for automatic updates by setting one or more of these registry keys on your server.
| .NET Version | Registry Key | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allow All .NET Updates | [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NET] | “AllowAUOnServerOS” | dword:00000001 |
| Allow .NET 6.0 Updates | [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NET\6.0] | “AllowAUOnServerOS” | dword:00000001 |
| Allow .NET 5.0 Updates | [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NET\5.0] | “AllowAUOnServerOS” | dword:00000001 |
| Allow .NET 3.1 Updates | [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NET\3.1] | “AllowAUOnServerOS” | dword:00000001 |
Setting the registry key can be achieved by adding the entry (this is an example for enabling 6.0 updates) in a “.reg” file and running this.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NET\6.0] "AllowAUOnServerOS"=dword:00000001Alternatively, you can use Group Policy to deploy the registry key to many computers at once.
Why are we making this change?
From the first time we started shipping updates for modern .NET via Microsoft Update we have continued to refine this delivery channel including the recent addition of updates for the Hosting Bundle. The vast majority of customers use servers in a managed environment and deployments are handled using a management tool such as Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager (MEP), System Center Config Manager (SCCM) or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and these customers prefer their servers are not directly patched outside of this management environment so they can exercise control over scheduling potential service downtime, reboots, etc. So when we started offering updates via MU we excluded Automatic Updates (AU).
A small number of customers have told us they don’t use a deployment management tool and would like to leverage AU to update their servers similar to clients. We believe the opt in approach we’re rolling out today will allow these customers to get the benefit of AU for their server operating systems without impacting the larger set of customers that do not want this.
In Closing
We’re excited to start delivering updates for modern .NET to server operating systems via Microsoft Update on an opt-in basis and look forward to your feedback on this experience. If you do not want to have your server operating systems updated automatically for you no action is required. If on the other hand you do want to leverage this for your servers review the guidance above.
What is the proposed automatic-update way in Ubuntu-linux?
Is there a similar article?
Thank you
Hi Team,
I set this up on Windows Server 2016.
Set the registry key for .NET 6. Restarted. Refreshed Windows Update.
Still would not update .NET 6.
In Windows Update --> Advanced Options
I had to tick "Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows."
Then I started to receive .NET 6 updates via Windows Updates.
I have tried to set "Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows." via reg key and it isn't working.....on to the next issue...
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]
"AllowMUUpdateService"=dword:00000001
Update:
found a way via PowerShell to auto turn on updates for other MS products
$ServiceManager...
On Febrary 2022, I updated a cumulative update for .net framework for windows 10,
then restart the windows, it stops at the Lenovo logo page. Very helpless.
And luckily, I can perform a restore. Thanks for Microsoft update provide a restore point by its ownself
automatically.
From then on, every month, when the cumulative update for .net framework for windows 10 is available and
pending to install, I am very afraid that my system may not perform the update successfully again and
then staying on the Lenovo logo loading screen.
I am not sure whether my hardwares are...
Thank you for this feature, I deliver .NET apps to small companies who have in-house Windows Server without anything like WSUS, and this will help.
Not directly related, but a question on something similar:
for the .Net framework cumulative updates, they frequently get released as “Preview” (and they’re listed as Preview in Windows updates for Windows 10/11), and yet Windows Update auto-installs them. If it’s truly a preview and a there will be a later update coming that’s the real version, Windows Update should not auto-install it. If it’s the real version and no later one is coming, I don’t...