Expected Restart Behavior – Windows 11 Devices

Overview

This article outlines the restart expectations and deferral options for all Windows 11 devices managed by IT. These policies apply to operating system updates, driver updates, and third-party application updates. If you ever experience issues outside of these outlined expectations, please contact the District Office Service Desk at (480) 731-8632

Intune-managed Operating System and Microsoft-Delivered Driver Update

If your device is managed by Intune, a cloud-based mobile device management (MDM) solution, Microsoft will manage Windows 11 operating system and driver updates through Windows Update using Intune endpoint management tools.

If you have questions about which tool manages your device, please contact Customer Care.

Key details of this tool:

  • Applies to Windows 11 security, quality, and Microsoft-delivered driver updates.
  • Updates are offered 5 days after Microsoft's "Patch Tuesday" (this is the deferral period).
  • Users have 2 days after the update becomes available to install it before installation is automatically enforced (this is the deadline period).
  • Once installed, users have up to 3 days to restart on their own before Windows automatically reboots to complete the update (this is the grace period).
    • Once the grace period ends, the device must restart during the organization’s maintenance window. Devices managed by DO IT do not support user-configurable business hours; restarts will be prompted to occur within the standard maintenance window of 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM, unless forced.

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MECM-managed Operating System Updates

If your device is managed by MECM, Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager will manage the Windows 11 operating system and driver updates through Windows patch management using endpoint management tools.

If you have questions about which tool manages your device, please contact Customer Care.

Key details of this tool:

  • Applies to Windows 11 security and operating system updates.
  • Updates are offered following Microsoft's "Patch Tuesday" deployment.
  • Users will automatically receive the update silently in the background and will be given a 2-day grace period after the update becomes available to finalize the installation before installation is automatically enforced (this is the deadline period).
  • Updates will be enforced outside of the maintenance window. Users will have 48 hours to restart their device manually and will receive reboot notifications every 3 hours, followed by a final non-dismissible notification 8 hours before the forced restart. If the device is not restarted by the user within this time frame, a forced restart will occur. 

NOTE: Devices managed by DO IT do not support user-configurable business hours; restarts will be prompted to occur during the standard maintenance window from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM, unless the grace period has completely ended, in which case a non-dismissible notification will occur 8 hours before the forced restart. This feature is built into MECM and cannot be removed by default. If you have concerns or questions, please contact Customer Care


MECM-managed Third-Party Application Updates

Third-party application updates for MECM-managed devices are deployed and maintained through Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. Updates are packaged, tested, and scheduled by IT to ensure compatibility and security compliance.

Key details:

  • Updates are made available 5 days after release (deferral period) to allow for initial validation and staging.
  • Once available, users have 2 days to install the update before it is automatically enforced (deadline period).
  • After installation, users have 3 days to restart the device or affected applications before a reboot (if required) is automatically triggered (grace period).
  • If an application must be closed before it can be updated, users will receive a notification prompting them to close the app to allow the update to proceed.
  • A final 60-minute restart notification will appear before a required reboot, and users can snooze the restart for up to 2 hours if needed.
  • Automatic restarts are scheduled to occur outside of active hours whenever possible to minimize disruption, but will begin if the device is off during the timeframe the next time the machine is logged in.

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MECM-managed Dell Drivers and Firmware Updates

Dell Command Update, in conjunction with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM), is used to manage Dell-specific driver, BIOS, and firmware updates.

Key details:

  • Applies to Dell-provided system drivers, BIOS, and firmware updates.
    • Updates follow the same deferral cadence as Windows and third-party app updates:
    • Up to three deferrals allowed within a seven-day window.
  • After the third deferral or seven days, the device will automatically restart to complete the update.
  • These updates are typically applied alongside scheduled maintenance or Windows patch cycles.

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Additional Resources

For more support and self-help articles and resources, visit our ITS Ticketing Service Catalog at help.maricopa.edu or you can call the District Information Technology Service support line directly at 480-731-8632.