You can trigger ad‑hoc OS and security updates on a single Windows device directly from its Device page in the Swif Admin Console. This is useful when you need to push a specific update (for example, “Security Intelligence Update for Microsoft Defender Antivirus”) to a particular machine without changing any global update policies.
This feature is similar in spirit to macOS on‑demand updates, but is implemented separately for Windows. For the macOS version, see Adhoc OS Updates for Apple Devices.
What this feature does (and doesn’t) do
What it does
Lets you:
View available Windows updates for a single device.
Choose a specific update (OS build or security/Defender update) from a list.
Schedule/trigger that update on that one device.
What it does not do
No “Update All” / bulk install from this flow.
No multi‑device or device‑group targeting.
No advanced scheduling options (download‑only, deferrals, priority, etc.).
The backend handles those defaults; the UI only needs the device and update.
Requirements
To use this feature:
The device must:
Be a Windows device.
Be enrolled and reporting into Swif.
Have available OS/Defender updates discovered via the Windows MDM integration.
You must:
Have sufficient permissions in the Swif Admin Console to manage device updates.
Available updates are provided to Swif and surfaced in the UI as:
Part 1 – Schedule an update from the Device page (Update OS modal)
Step 1 – Open the Windows device page
Go to the Devices section in the Swif Admin Console.
Find and open the Windows device you want to update.
Confirm you’re on that device’s Device page (overview).
Step 2 – Open the “Update OS” window
In the device actions/menu, look for the Windows‑only action:
Update OS
Click this action.
This opens the Windows OS Update modal for that specific device.
Step 3 – Review the list of available updates
In the modal, you’ll see a list of Windows updates available for this device. For each update, Swif shows at least:
Name –
humanReadableName
(e.g., “Windows 11, version 24H2”, “Security Intelligence Update for Microsoft Defender Antivirus”)Version/build – when available.
Download size – in a human‑readable format (e.g., “250 MB”).
Release date – when the update was released by Microsoft.
Status – the current state reported for this update.
These entries come directly from device.deviceRelatedInfo.availableOSUpdates and their associated IDs.
You do not need to enter or know the update ID manually.
Swif automatically maps the selected row to the correct updateId.
Step 4 – Select the update to install
From the list, select exactly one update.
The UI uses a single‑select pattern (e.g., radio button or single selectable row).
You can only schedule one specific update at a time from this modal.
Confirm that the details (name, version, size) match what you intend to install.
Step 5 – Schedule the update
Click the primary action button in the modal, for example:
Schedule update, Install this update, or similar Windows‑specific wording.
Swif will:
Send a scheduling request for that device and that update to our MDM backend.
Use the Windows OS update schedule API (no bulk/group changes).
During this request, you may see a brief loading state. The client uses a reasonable timeout so you won’t be stuck with an endless spinner.
Part 2 – Schedule an update from Device → Updates tab
You can also trigger an update directly from the Updates tab on the device.
Step 1 – Open the Updates tab
On the same Windows device page, switch to the Updates tab.
Locate the Windows section listing available OS and related updates.
This list is based on the same device data as the Device‑page modal (device.deviceRelatedInfo.availableOSUpdates).
Step 2 – Find the update row you want to install
Each Windows update appears as a row with details similar to:
Update name (e.g., OS build or Defender signature update).
Version/build (if available).
Size, release date, and current status.
Step 3 – Use the per‑row action to schedule the update
On the specific row you want to install, click its update action
This action:
Targets only that single device and only that specific update.
Triggers the same scheduling behavior as in the Device‑page modal, without needing to open the modal first.
Again, there’s no option here to select multiple updates at once or push to groups.
What happens behind the scenes (high level)
When you schedule an update (either from the Device page modal or the Updates tab), the Swif web app:
Identifies:
The device’s MDM ID (Windows device ID).
The update’s internal ID from the selected row.
Submits a schedule request for that device/update pair to the Windows MDM integration.
Treats a backend response indicating “installation initiated” as success.
As an admin, you don’t need to manage these IDs directly; you simply pick from the list.
Success behavior and UI feedback
When the schedule request is accepted:
You’ll see:
A success toast and/or a confirmation message inline.
Any loading indicator will stop.
The UI remains fully usable (you can navigate, close the modal, etc.).
After a successful schedule, the device’s available updates list will refresh on the next data update. Depending on the backend state, you should see one of the following:
The update disappears from the “available” list once it’s considered installed, or
The status for that update row changes (for example, from “Available” to “In progress” or similar, depending on how the agent reports status).
If your tenant or environment has a manual Refresh updates control on the Updates tab, you can use it to request the latest update data.
Error handling and known edge cases
If something goes wrong while scheduling a Windows update, Swif will:
Surface the error message returned by the backend.
Keep the UI responsive so you can close the modal or try again later.
Avoid permanent loading states by timing out gracefully.
Some notable error patterns:
Insufficient disk space
The backend can return a message indicating the device doesn’t have enough free disk space for the update.
Swif shows this message (e.g., via toast and optional inline detail).
You may need to free up space on the device and then retry the update.
Windows Defender signature / background updates
(for example, HResult0x80246007)Defender‑related updates can sometimes complete or change status automatically in the background.
In those cases, you may see a message explaining that the update’s lifecycle is being handled by Windows itself.
Swif surfaces the text from the backend but leaves the UI usable, allowing you to try again later if needed.
In all error cases:
No bulk operations are triggered.
You remain on a standard, interactive page; there is no “blocked” state.
You are free to:
Retry the same update.
Choose a different update.
Return later once the device or environment is ready.
Scope and limitations
To avoid confusion with other update mechanisms, keep these constraints in mind:
Single device only
Every action in this flow targets exactly one Windows device.
Single update only
From both the Device page modal and the Updates tab per‑row action, you schedule precisely one update at a time.
No policy management
This is not an update policy or maintenance window feature.
It’s an adhoc, per‑device control for specific updates.
No bulk “Update All”
Bulk or group‑based updates are handled elsewhere (or via future features), not through this UI.
Windows‑only
This article describes Windows behavior specifically.
For macOS on‑demand updates, see:
Adhoc OS Updates for Apple Devices | Help Center | Swif.ai