Hey everyone! I'm looking for tips on how to manage software updates effectively for end users at my company. Right now, we use PDQ Deploy and PowerShell to install software, but it only deploys the versions we have stored on our server. I'm curious about various practices out there, specifically how you all handle updates. Here are some questions I'm hoping to get insights on:
- What processes do you use to find new software updates?
- How do you usually get notified when new updates are released for applications?
- Is there an automated solution you utilize that sends email alerts for updates?
- Do your software vendors provide alert notifications?
- How frequently do you check for updates?
- What tools help you streamline your updating process?
Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!
6 Answers
I manage updates using Intune's update rings for Windows updates, while using PatchMyPC for third-party updates. There’s also the autopatch feature in Intune that you can explore—it’s a solid option for endpoint management.
Action 1 is free for under 200 devices, which is great if you're working with a smaller setup!
I use PatchMyPC and it works well for me. It simplifies the process a lot!
Before we got an RMM tool, I set up a scheduled task with Winget for updates. Now, my RMM handles it all, giving me some nice reporting for compliance checks. We check for updates every night, install critical ones immediately, and push regular updates a couple of days later. Machines that were offline during updates get checked as soon as they boot up.
We stick with PDQ too, doing updates about once or twice a month unless there's a critical security update. I keep an eye on the PDQ library for package updates, and for anything not in there, I try to set up email notifications from relevant GitHub repos. Most of our packages get deployed using PSADT with .msi files set up for zero-touch installation, which cuts down on update effort.
I currently use Action1 for managing updates—it makes things pretty straightforward. It helps keep track of what needs to be updated without much manual effort.
Seconded! Action1 has been really helpful.