🔥Hotpatching: A Reboot-Free Future?
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In today’s always-on world, uptime is everything—and patching, while essential, often feels like a disruptive chore. But Microsoft’s latest move could quietly reshape how we think about system maintenance.
On April 24, 2025, Microsoft announced that Hotpatching for Windows Server 2025 will be generally available on July 1, 2025 for Standard and Datacenter editions. Just days later, they confirmed that Hotpatching for Windows 11 Enterprise (version 24H2) is now generally available for eligible devices managed via Intune and Autopatch.
No reboots. No late-night maintenance windows. No more “just one more restart.”
🧠What Is Hotpatching?
Hotpatching allows Microsoft to apply security updates directly to the in-memory code of running processes—without requiring a reboot. For Windows Server 2025, this reduces reboots to once per quarter. For Windows 11 Enterprise, it’s a seamless, policy-driven experience managed through Intune.
đź’¸ Licensing and Deployment Considerations
- Windows Server 2025: Hotpatching for on-premises servers requires Azure Arc enrollment and a $1.50 per core/month subscription starting July 1, 2025. Further information can be found here: Tired of all the restarts? Get hotpatching for Windows Server – Microsoft Windows Server Blog
- Windows 11 Enterprise: Hotpatching is included with Microsoft 365 E3/E5/F3, Education A3/A5, or Windows 365 Enterprise subscriptions. Devices must be managed via Microsoft Intune with a hotpatch-enabled Windows quality update policy. Further information can be found here: Hotpatch for Windows client now available – Windows IT Pro Blog
🔍 Are Your Tools Ready?
Hotpatching changes the patching cadence and visibility. That raises important questions:
- Can your tools detect hotpatch-enabled systems?
- How do you verify patch status without the usual reboot trail?
- Are you able to identify which systems are enrolled—and which ones aren’t?
💬 Let’s Start the Conversation
At The SAM Club, we’re curious: Is hotpatching on your radar? Are you planning to test it, already rolling it out, or just learning about it now?
Please let us know your thoughts below.