Microsoft has extended Windows Server 2022 hotpatching until October 2027, one year after the mainstream end date of October 2026.
This comes with the following caveat: extended support is only available for systems running Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition that are enrolled in hotpatch updates. This change is effective immediately, and the existing hotpatch cadence will remain unchanged through October 2027.
On systems where hotpatching is enabled, Windows deploys security updates by patching the in-memory code of running processes without restarting them after each installation or rebooting the device.
However, servers still require a restart after installing updates delivered through the regular (non-Hotpatch) Windows update channel. Two examples of updates that can't be installed without a restart are Windows non-security updates and non-Windows updates (such as .NET patches).
"Hotpatch update support for Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition has been extended through October 2027. Devices enrolled in Hotpatch updates will continue to receive monthly security updates without requiring a restart," Microsoft said in a Windows release health dashboard update.
