Microsoft announced that Windows Server admins will be able to opt-in for automatic updates for .NET Framework and .NET Core via Microsoft Update. Until now, Windows Server could only get updates for .NET and .NET Core via Windows Server Update Services and MU Catalog. Now, admins will be able to modify configurations while receiving builds from the Automatic Updates channel. Admins, who don’t want their servers updated automatically don’t have to take any action.
How to enable .NET automatic updates
Updates for supported versions of .NET Core 3.1, .NET 5.0, and .NET 6.0 are currently offered via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Microsoft Update Catalog only. Admins can get their Windows Server automatically updates by opting in. Here are the registry keys to opt-in for automatic updates:
| .NET Version | Registry Key | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allow All .NET Updates | [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft.NET] | “AllowAUOnServerOS” | dword:00000001 |
| Allow .NET 6.0 Updates | [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft.NET6.0] | “AllowAUOnServerOS” | dword:00000001 |
| Allow .NET 5.0 Updates | [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft.NET5.0] | “AllowAUOnServerOS” | dword:00000001 |
| Allow .NET 3.1 Updates | [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft.NET3.1] | “AllowAUOnServerOS” | dword:00000001 |
Setting the registry key can be achieved by adding the entry in a “.reg” file and running this.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NET\6.0] "AllowAUOnServerOS"=dword:00000001This is the first time Microsoft started shipping updates for modern .Net via Microsoft Update. The tech giant also stated that they are refining this new delivery channel including the recent addition of updates for the Hosting Bundle. Customers who are using a management tool prefer their servers are not directly patched outside of this management environment, allowing them to test potential issues.