Table of Contents

Creating an Automatic Deployment Rule

From the console, navigate to Software Library ► Software Updates ▶︎ Automatic Deployment Rules.
You may need to further expand the Automatic Deployment Rules node if your ADRs are organized into folders.

Click the Create ADR button in the ribbon to start the wizard.

General

Select the collection you would like to deploy this feature update to and select "Add to an existing Software Update Group" otherwise the ADR will create a new SUG each time it runs.

Do not use a pre-existing SUG that contains updates managed outside this ADR. Each time the ADR runs, Configuration Manager rebuilds the SUG contents based on the ADR criteria. The very first time the ADR runs it will create the SUG.

This process may not work to upgrade endpoints with very old or unsupported Windows versions. Verify the endpoint(s) meet the minimum requirements for the feature update you intend to deploy.

Name: Make sure to prefix the ADR Name with your Official Department Code.
e.g. LAWS - Windows 11 25H2 Feature Update

Deployment Settings

Use Available for self-service or pilot opt-in.
Use Required for enforced deployment.

For an automated approach, required would be the desirable choice.

Before using a Required deployment, verify that target devices have an appropriate maintenance window. Feature updates can take significantly longer than normal monthly updates, so the maintenance window must be long enough for the update maximum runtime and expected reboot behavior.

Property and Search Criteria

Check the boxes for: Product, Superseded, Title and Update Classification.
Click on <items to find> in order to set your criteria.

Architecture = x64
Product = Windows 11
Superseded = No
Title = 25H2
Update Classification = Upgrades

Product and Title listed above are examples, be sure to change accordingly for future versions.

Once you have set all the necessary search criteria, click on Preview before completing the ADR. The criteria should return only the intended feature update. If more than one update appears, refine the title, architecture, language, or other criteria before continuing.

Example:

Not finding the new feature update you’re looking for? Feature updates only appear after the applicable product/classification metadata has synchronized and Microsoft has published the update to WSUS/Configuration Manager. If it just came out, you may need to wait until the next patch Tuesday until it’s available.

Evaluation Schedule

The default schedule should not be used. The Software Update Point synchronization runs every 6 hours.

Instead, choose a schedule appropriate for deploying the updates you're interested in. In the case of feature updates, change the schedule to monthly and it should be set to a time after Microsoft publishes updates such as the late afternoon or early evening of the second Tuesday.

Schedule

Choose "As soon as possible" for both the available time as well as the deadline, unless you have hard requirements for a future time frame.

When will it install?

“As soon as possible” means Configuration Manager makes the deployment available as soon as client policy is updated. Clients still need to receive policy, evaluate applicability, download content, respect maintenance windows, and follow user experience/restart settings. Required deployment deadlines may also include deadline randomization.

User Experience

These settings may be configured depending on what you selected (Required or Available) as well as the experience you want users to have.

For example, if you made this an "available" update, then you will not want to hide it. Set the other behavior options as desired.

Alerts

The default generates an alert when the rule fails. You can uncheck or even set an alert for compliance.
Do not set any alerts for Operations Manager.

Deployment Package

Select No deployment package. Clients will then download the content from Microsoft directly.

While there’s no reason to later change this setting for this specific use case, just be aware that it can’t be changed later once the ADR has been created.

Download location

Set Deployment options to Download. The metered internet setting is up to you, however it may result in higher charges for an end user using a hotspot (metered connection).

ADR for Windows Feature Update