Microsoft reiterates that it is discontinuing driver synchronization for on-prem Windows Server updates on April 18. Users of the tool are asked to switch to (cloud-based) alternatives.
Microsoft will stop driver synchronization through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) on April 18, 2025. That was announced last summer, but Microsoft is reminding administrators via the Windows Mesage Center that the deadline is less than 60 days away. Administrators using this feature should switch to alternative solutions.
WSUS is widely used to manage updates within on-premises IT environments. This change will require IT teams to change their update management. Microsoft has previously indicated that it prefers to focus on cloud-based update solutions.
On to the cloud
Microsoft organized a roundtable of Windows Server users last year to determine whether discontinuing driver synchronization would cause major problems. It showed that one-third of companies using WSUS use the tool to keep servers up to date. The vast majority of those would already be in the process of switching to other solutions. Only eight percent were at a loss when they heard that driver synchronization would stop.
Specifically, the discontinuation means that Windows Server users will no longer be able to automatically pull in driver updates through Microsoft’s update catalog. In the long run, the WSUS service is no longer part of Microsoft’s plans for Windows Server at all. The new version of Windows Server has been available since last November.
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So administrators still have 60 days to find an alternative solution. Microsoft likes to push them toward cloud-based update tools, such as Intune and Windows Autopatch. A course Microsoft has been pursuing for years: various on-prem services are being discontinued or stealthily treated to talk companies into cloud services (and subscriptions).