Eligible Windows 11 Enterprise organizations can now install most monthly security updates without restarting PCs. Microsoft’s hotpatch service uses Windows Autopatch and Intune, runs on a quarterly baseline-plus-hotpatch cycle, and still requires occasional restarts for baseline servicing and some feature, firmware, or application changes.
What Windows hotpatching changes
Hotpatch is an extension of Windows Update. In a hotpatch month, Microsoft’s Monthly B release security update is installed and takes effect without a device restart. Windows Autopatch creates and deploys the update to devices assigned to a hotpatch-enabled quality update policy in Microsoft Intune.
The benefit is continuity: users can remain signed in while supported security fixes are applied. Microsoft says 81% of its enrolled devices became compliant within 24 hours of Patch Tuesday; that figure is an internal Microsoft result, not a guarantee for every organization.
How the quarterly schedule works
Hotpatch does not eliminate restarts permanently. Microsoft’s documented pattern uses four baseline months and eight hotpatch months each year:
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| Month type | What is installed | Restart required? |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly baseline | Broader cumulative servicing that establishes the code base for the next quarter | Yes |
| Two following hotpatch months | Monthly B-release security fixes applied to the baseline | No for the hotpatch update itself |
Baseline cumulative updates arrive in the first month of each quarter. A restart can still be needed between baselines if an operating-system feature, firmware package, or application update requires one.
Who is eligible
Microsoft Learn lists these qualifying subscriptions:
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- Windows 11 Enterprise E3 or E5
- Microsoft 365 F3
- Windows 11 Education A3 or A5
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Windows 365 Enterprise
Eligible licensing alone is insufficient. Devices must run Windows 11 version 24H2 or later, be on the latest baseline release, and be managed by Microsoft Intune with a hotpatch-enabled Windows quality update policy. Windows Autopatch must be enrolled to deploy the updates.
Supported Windows versions and Arm64 conditions
Microsoft’s client documentation identifies Windows 11 Enterprise 24H2 and 25H2 as the principal supported versions. Microsoft’s August 11, 2026 support article for KB5120994 states that hotpatch is generally available on 24H2 and 25H2 Arm64 devices as well.
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Arm64 devices need the current baseline, an eligible subscription, Intune policy management, and Virtualization-based Security (VBS) enabled. Microsoft also requires CHPE (Compiled Hybrid Portable Executable) to be disabled. Disabling CHPE is a one-time policy change and requires a restart, so the setup step itself is not restart-free.
Hotpatch versus a standard monthly update
| Area | Hotpatch deployment | Ordinary monthly cumulative update |
|---|---|---|
| Restart behavior | No restart for the hotpatch B-release update | Normally requires a restart to finish installation |
| Contents | Security fixes designed to apply to the established baseline | Broader cumulative servicing, including fixes that may alter more of the operating system |
| Management | Windows Autopatch plus an Intune hotpatch-enabled quality update policy | Can use standard Windows Update management tools and policies |
| Cadence | Eight hotpatch months after four quarterly baselines | Monthly release cycle |
| Licensing | Requires one of Microsoft’s listed subscriptions | Uses the normal entitlement for the Windows edition |
How an organization enables it
- Confirm entitlement. Verify that every target user or device has a qualifying subscription and that the Windows edition is Enterprise (or another edition covered by Microsoft’s current service documentation).
- Bring devices to the required baseline. Update supported Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 installations to Microsoft’s latest baseline release. Plan the required restart during a maintenance window.
- Configure Intune. In the Microsoft Intune admin center, create or edit the Windows quality update policy and enable its hotpatch option. Assign the policy only to pilot devices first.
- Enroll in Windows Autopatch. Autopatch is the deployment service that delivers the hotpatch updates; an Intune policy by itself does not install them.
- Pilot and monitor. Test representative hardware, business applications, compliance reporting, and restart behavior before broad assignment. Keep a process for scheduling the next quarterly baseline restart.
When a restart can still occur
- The quarterly baseline update requires a restart.
- A Windows feature update or other operating-system change is outside the hotpatch payload.
- Firmware or a driver package needs reboot-time installation.
- An application installer requests a restart.
- Arm64 setup requires the one-time CHPE policy change and its restart.
Therefore, hotpatch reduces planned monthly interruption; it does not promise that a PC will never restart. Microsoft’s release notes say the device does not need to restart for the remainder of the quarter after a hotpatch update, subject to those other update categories.
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What IT teams should plan for
Hotpatch is primarily an organizational continuity and compliance feature. Deployment normally involves subscription assignment, Intune policy design, Autopatch enrollment, staged testing, monitoring, and communications for quarterly baseline maintenance. Organizations without those management capabilities may need a qualified Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider or managed-service partner to supply licensing and implement the policies.
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