Microsoft Announces WSUS Deprecation: What IT Admins Need to Know

Microsoft has announced the deprecation of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), marking the end of new feature development for the popular update management tool. While the WSUS tool will no longer receive new capabilities, its existing functionality will remain supported moving forward.

What is Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)?

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a tool that helps administrators manage and distribute Microsoft product updates across a network. It allows IT admins to approve or delay updates and decide which devices receive specific ones. WSUS also supports automation via PowerShell and integrates with Group Policy for easier management.

Microsoft has announced that WSUS is being deprecated and will no longer be actively developed or enhanced in the future. However, this doesn’t mean the feature is being removed. The deprecation won’t impact its existing functionality or support for Microsoft Configuration Manager.

“Specifically, this means that we are no longer investing in new capabilities, nor are we accepting new feature requests for WSUS. However, we are preserving current functionality and will continue to publish updates through the WSUS channel. We will also support any content already published through the WSUS channel,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft suggests migration to cloud-based update management solutions

The deprecation of WSUS is a big deal for many administrators who depend on the tool to manage and distribute updates in enterprise environments. “Congratulations, you must made centralized automated patching subject to internal politics and budget constraints. I survived the era of Melissa, SQL Slammer, and other things that were solved when we no longer had to choose between paid patch management or trusting admins of every server to do the right thing. For those of you that did not live through that, buckle up!,” an IT admin wrote in the comments section.

Microsoft plans to remove features like the IIS 6 Management Console, WordPad, and the SMTP email server in Windows Server 2025. However, the WSUS role will still be available in the upcoming version of Windows Server.

Microsoft urges organizations to migrate to cloud-based alternatives, including Microsoft Intune. IT administrators can also opt for Azure Update Manager to handle server updates and Windows Autopatch for managing client updates.