Update Office 365 Apps

Applies to version 9.3.970.15 or later

You can patch Office 365 using the Patch Channel products:

• Microsoft 365 Apps | Office 365 Current Channel

• Microsoft 365 Apps | Office 365 Monthly Channel

• Microsoft 365 Apps | Office 365 Semi-Annual Channel

The Monthly and Semi-Annual Channels provide the option to deploy Extended Updates with the following products:

• Microsoft 365 Apps | Office 365 Monthly Channel Extended Updates

• Microsoft 365 Apps | Office 365 Semi-Annual Channel Extended Updates

We have also included the Preview Channels with the following products:

• Microsoft 365 Apps | Office 365 Current Preview Channel

• Microsoft 365 Apps | Office 365 Semi-Annual Preview Channel

O365 Products

Office 365 Patch Tactics

We recommend you only include one product from each Channel in a Patch Strategy. If a device is targeted for multiple products, it will try to install the latest patch from each product.

These products have rules so only the appropriate channel products will appear as installed on a device. This will be one product in the case of Current Channel or any Preview Channel, and two products for Current, Monthly, and Semi-Annual Channels where both the standard and Extended Updates Channel products will show as installed.

If you are using older Office 365 Products in your Patch Strategies, you will need to remove the existing Office 365 Product from all Strategies before utilizing these in your Patch Strategies.

In the case where both Standard and Extended Updates are Applicable, you should choose one product, either Standard or Extended Updates, to ensure the correct version is deployed.

The Standard Update is the Product that does not include the words Extended Updates.

In the case where both of the Standard and Extended Updates Channels are installed, you will need to configure the patching strategy to ensure that only the right version, Standard or Extended, is scanned for and deployed. In most cases, you should add only the version you want to your strategy and leave out the others.

Create an Office 365 Patch Strategy

1. Click Strategies from the side bar navigation.

2. Click New Strategy.

Overview

1. Enter a Name like Patch O365 Monthly and an optional Description.

2. Toggle ON Strategy Enabled.

3. Click Next.

What to patch

1. Click Browse next to Included Products.

2. In the Search bar, type Office 365 Monthly Channel and press Enter.

3. In the results table, expand Product Name and click to select the Office 365 Monthly Channel checkbox.

4. Click OK.

   

   Strategy Products
5. Click Next.

When to patch

1. Click Browse and select 2nd Tuesday of Month (00hrs) from the table.

2. Click OK.

3. Click Next.

How to patch

1. Click + Add Deployment Ring.

2. Click Browse, select a Business Unit like Pilot and click OK.

3. Click + Add Transition > Approval Transition and add users you'd like to approve the production level deployment.

4. Click + Add Deployment Ring.

5. Click Browse, select a Business Unit like Production and click OK.

6. Click Save.

If you would like to run your Strategy immediately instead of waiting for the selected scheduled time, you can select More > Run Strategy.

Use Office 365 Client Settings

There are 3 client settings to help you manage clients running Office 365:

• Patching Client System > Msft365 Fix Update Channel

  Sometimes the initial install of Microsoft 365 using the ODT doesn't correctly set some registry values, so no 365 products will scan as installed, setting this to true will fix the registry values so the product should correctly scan going forward.

• Patching Client System > Msft365 Change Update Channel

  This setting is used to change what update channel a client is configured to, setting this registry to the desired channel name will cause the new desired channel product(s) to scan as installed and you can patch the client in the new channel.

  Possible values: current, current preview, monthly, semi-annual, semi-annual preview

• Patching Client System > Msft365 Force App Shutdown

  If this setting is set to true, Microsoft 365 patches will force any interfering apps to close during Microsoft 365 app updates.

You can read more about client settings in our Client Settings Policy documentation.