Microsoft Enhances PowerShell Update Management via Microsoft Update
Microsoft recently unveiled a significant advancement in managing PowerShell updates through its blog. The latest update facilitates users to leverage Microsoft Update (MU) for automatic updates, a feature that first appeared with PowerShell 7.2.
Microsoft Update (MU) is a service that provides automatic updates for Microsoft products and services. We first started using MU in PowerShell 7.2. MU provides a convenient way to automatically update PowerShell 7, which ensures you can control your update schedule, test it against your environment, and scale across your enterprise with ease.
Understanding Microsoft Update vs. Windows Update
It’s essential to differentiate between Microsoft Update and the more familiar Windows Update service. While both aim to keep systems current, Windows Update is focused solely on operating system updates and related utilities, such as Windows Defender. In contrast, Microsoft Update encompasses a broader range of Microsoft products, including Office applications.
Update Management Options
To streamline the update process, users will be presented with two options. Microsoft advises enabling both settings for optimal management:
- Enable updates for PowerShell through Microsoft Update or WSUS
- Enable Microsoft Update when I check for updates
Command Line Deployment for PowerShell Updates
For those who prefer using command line utilities, updates can also be deployed through specific MSI package options for PowerShell 7.2. Here are the available command-line properties:
The PowerShell 7.2 MSI package includes the following command-line options:
USE_MU– This property has two possible values:
- 1 (default) – Enables updates through Microsoft Update or WSUS
- 0 – Disables updates through Microsoft Update or WSUS
ENABLE_MU
- 1 (default) – Enables the use of Microsoft Update for Automatic Updates or Windows Update
- 0 – Disables the use of Microsoft Update for Automatic Updates or Windows Update
It is noteworthy that setting ENABLE_MU=0 does not completely disable the Microsoft Update feature.
Stability Assured with LTS and Stable Versions
Microsoft emphasizes that utilizing the Microsoft Update system for PowerShell will guarantee stability across various versions. Users on Long-Term Servicing (LTS) versions will remain within that ecosystem, while those operating on Stable, release candidates, or preview versions will continue in their respective streams.
For further reading on this update and its implications, you can explore the original blog post by Microsoft.
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