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Machine Update

The Machine Update page manually installs Microsoft patches on individual machines. Machine Update overrides the Patch Approval Policy but obeys the Reboot Action policy. If you're using Automatic Update, then Machine Update is used on an exception basis. Machine Update is often used to test a new patch prior to approving it for general release to all machines. See Methods of Updating Patches, Configuring Patch Management, Patch Processing, Superseded Patches, Update Classification and Patch Failure for a general description of patch management.

Using Machine Update

  1. Click a machine ID to display all patches missing on that machine.
  2. The Product column helps identify the product category associated with a specific patch. If a patch is used across multiple operating system families (i.e., Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Vista, etc.), the product category is Common Windows Component. Examples include Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, MDAC, MSXML, etc.

    Note: If a listed patch displays the phrase User Action required to install update the patch cannot be installed silently. The patch must be scheduled when a logged on user is available to answer the prompts required to complete the install. If a user does not respond to the prompts after a fixed time period the install is skipped and the phrase User not ready to install displays next to the patch.

  3. Optionally click the KB Article link to display a Details page about the patch. The Details page contains a link to display the knowledge base article.
  4. Optionally click a Security Bulletin link to review a security bulletin, if available. Patches classified as security updates have a security bulletin ID (MSyy-xxx).
  5. Check the box next to patches you want installed on the selected machine ID.
  6. Click the Schedule button to install patches using the install parameters.
  7. Click the Cancel button to remove any pending patch installs. Does not clear patch installs that have already started.

Superseded Patches

A patch may be superseded and not need to be installed. See Superseded Patches for more information.

Schedule

Click this button to display the Scheduler window, which is used throughout the VSA to schedule a task. Schedule this task once. Options include:

Cancel

Click Cancel to cancel execution of this task on selected managed machines.

Note: Patches that are currently being processed (status of Pending - Processing Now) cannot be canceled.

Hide patches denied by Patch Approval

If checked, hides patches denied patch approval. Patches with the status Pending Approval are considered denied by Machine Update.

Select All/Unselect All

Click the Select All link to check all rows on the page. Click the Unselect All link to uncheck all rows on the page.

(Patch)

Patches are grouped by update classification first and knowledge base article number second.

(Status)

The following status messages can appear next to a patch: