How do I Install Windows and Third-Party App Updates in GoTo Resolve?

You can install updates for your operating system and available third-party applications on a single or multiple devices. These updates are commonly known as patch management.

Remember: Windows updates are available for users with Premium licenses only. Updates can be deployed on verified devices only.

How to install Windows updates on your devices?

Important: To use this feature, the user must be authenticated with zero trust authentication, which serves the security of the session. Authentication is required only once when you run a Remote Execution step.

In the Console, go to the Devices page and select the devices that you want to update.
The Manage device panel opens on the right.
Under Device health, select OS updates and then choose the Select updates to install option.
The Updates page is displayed.
Select the Windows updates that you want to install.
To list security-related Windows patches, go to the Only security updates tab.
Select Install selected updates on the right.
Select the devices where you want to install the updates, then select Next.
You can select online and offline devices as well.
Optional: Select Schedule this update to set a future time and date for the updates to be installed on the remote device.
You can schedule updates up to one year ahead.
Remember: If you have selected at least one offline device, you must schedule the installation of Windows patches.
Optional: Toggle Force reboot after installation to select how many times the end user can postpone rebooting the device. This option is available only when there is at least one update that requires a reboot.
Name your update on the right.
GoTo Resolve will refer to installed updates by this name.
Select Install now.
Alternatively, if you set a future time for your updates, select Schedule.
Enter your zero trust signature key to proceed with the installation.
A pop-up confirmation is displayed.

What to do next: To see the progress of the installation, on the History page, select See details next to your newly created device update package.

Note: GoTo Resolve uses Remote Execution to install Windows updates.

How to update third-party apps on a single device?

GoTo Resolve uses Windows Package Manager (winget) to update third-party applications on remote devices. Since winget is available on Windows (from Windows 10 version 1709), GoTo Resolve can update Windows devices only. Supported third-party apps are listed at https://winget.run/.

In the Console, go to the Devices page and select a device that you want to update.
The Manage device panel opens on the right.
Under Device health, select Application updates.
The Software updates page is displayed.
On the Application updates tab, select the third-party apps that you want to update.
Only those apps are listed that are supported by Windows Package Manager (winget).
Name your update on the right.
GoTo Resolve will refer to installed updates by this name.
Optional: Select Schedule this update to set a future time and date for the updates to be installed on the remote device.
You can schedule updates up to one year ahead.
Remember: If you have selected at least one offline device, you must schedule the installation of Windows patches.
Select Install now on the right.
Alternatively, if you set a future time for your updates, select Install when scheduled.

What to do next: Click See details in the pop-up message to see the progress of the installation.

Can't update a third-party app? That's most likely because the vendor of the app does not support winget, which is the Microsoft package manager that GoTo Resolve uses to update applications.

How to automate the installation of Windows updates?

You can schedule the installation of Windows patches and define what exactly to install so that GoTo Resolve periodically updates your devices' health.

In the Policies menu, select Add new policy in the top right.
On the Choose policy type page, select Windows updates, then select Next.
On the Configure policy page, set up how you want to automate the installation of Windows patches:
Under Recurrence, choose how frequently you want to repeat the installation:
- Repeat daily: the installation will run every day at the same time. For example, you can schedule the policy to run every day at 4 AM local time of the device.
- Repeat weekly: the policy will run at the same time every week. For example, you can schedule to run the policy at 4 AM on Mondays and Fridays.
  Remember: You can select multiple days of the week.
- Repeat monthly: the policy will run at the same time on a given day of the month that you select. For example, you can schedule a job to run at 4 AM on the second Monday of every month.
  Remember: You can select only one day of the month.
Note:
- Policies run in the timezone of the selected remote device; therefore, in your local time, the same job may run at different times on different devices.
- When you set recurrence, your policy will run at least twice.
Optional: Toggle Retry update settings and set a Time window to retry installing the updates on devices that are unavailable when the policy runs. If a device is unavailable during an update, the policy will keep trying to update within the set time window. If the update fails, the device will be marked "non-compliant" on the Policies page.
The time window can be set between 1 and 24 hours.
Under Manage automation, select update types that you want to automatically install.
- Install all Windows update patches - Applies all Windows patches to the selected devices
- Install by mandatory or severity - Windows updates will be installed based on Microsoft's labeling. You have the following options:
  - Based on mandatory status, updates can be Mandatory or Optional
  - Based on severity, updates can be Critical, , Important, Moderate, Low, or Unspecified
- Install by classification - Choose Microsoft-defined update categories. Only Windows patches in these categories will be installed on the selected devices.
Select Next.
Select the devices where you want to automate Windows update installation.
When you have several devices, you can select Add filter above the device list to display only a subset of computers.
Select Next.
On the Review and activate page, name your new policy and select Activate policy.
Type your signature key to finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any special system requirements for installing third-party app updates?

Yes. Since application updates uses Microsoft Package Manager (winget) to update third-party apps, you must make sure that winget is installed system-wide on your devices, that is for all users on that device. Winget is available with Windows 10 (from version 1709) and Windows 11 only. Also make sure that Windows is activated on your devices.

Which third-party apps does GoTo Resolve support?

Supported third-party apps are listed at https://winget.run/.

Can I manually set the time when a device should reboot after installing a Windows update?

No. When an update requires a reboot, the device restarts immediately after the update is installed. You have the following options to avoid an immediate restart:

You can let remote users postpone the reboot up to three times.
You can schedule the update to take place outside business hours.

Why can't I install patches to certain third-party apps?

The vendor of an application can create multiple installer types. Not all these installers are published to winget, which is the Microsoft package manager that GoTo Resolve uses to update applications. If the installer of a third-party app is not published to winget, you won’t be able to update that application.

Article last updated: 19 September, 2024

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