Pre-downloading patches with Windows and installing with Automox
The general purpose of pre-downloading Windows patches is so that the update process does not take as long. Unfortunately, with Microsoft, there isn't an option to just "download updates" and "do nothing" with them. The perfect fit for that would be a WSUS server. However, this option explores what it can be like to skip WSUS.
The only partial workaround is to opt for #3 in the Automatic Windows Update configuration:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/update/waas-wu-settings
3 - Auto download and notify for Install - Windows finds updates that apply to the device and downloads them in the background (the user is not notified or interrupted during this process). When the downloads are complete, users will be notified that they are ready to install. After going to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, users can install them.
There are two things to note when you select this option:
- Automox will use the already downloaded patches to install on the devices, which is what we want.
- Unfortunately, this can also lead to unwanted user prompts from Windows (ex. "Patches are ready, click here to proceed").
To avoid unwanted user prompts, as described in point #2, you could get rid of the User Notifications. There might be a way to disable the prompts from a Group Policy or a Registry Key. Here are some helpful articles:
https://windowsloop.com/disable-notifications-on-windows-10/
https://www.techbout.com/disable-notifications-windows-10-56391/