Policy
Select the channel for Microsoft Defender monthly engine updates
Microsoft Windows
Policy overview
Key metadata and intent for this policy.
Supported OS tags: Windows10, Windows10RT, Windows11, WindowsServer2016
Enable this policy to specify when devices receive Microsoft Defender engine updates during the monthly gradual rollout. Beta Channel: Devices set to this channel will be the first to receive new updates. Select Beta Channel to participate in identifying and reporting issues to Microsoft. Devices in the Windows Insider Program are subscribed to this channel by default. For use in (manual) test environments only and a limited number of devices. Current Channel (Preview): Devices set to this channel will be offered updates earliest during the monthly gradual release cycle. Suggested for pre-production/validation environments. Current Channel (Staged): Devices will be offered updates after the monthly gradual release cycle. Suggested to apply to a small, representative part of your production population (~10%). Current Channel (Broad): Devices will be offered updates only after the gradual release cycle completes. Suggested to apply to a broad set of devices in your production population (~10-100%). Critical - Time delay: Devices will be offered updates with a 48-hour delay. Suggested for critical environments only. If you disable or do not configure this policy, the device will stay up to date automatically during the gradual release cycle. Suitable for most devices.
Registry values
How enabled and disabled states update the registry.
No explicit registry values are set for enabled or disabled states.
Policy elements
Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.
| Scope | Element | Type | Registry mapping | Constraints & behavior | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | Select the channel for Microsoft Defender monthly engine updates: ID UpdateChannelsDropDown | enum | Path Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Value name EngineRing Type REG_DWORD | Options: Beta Channel (2), Current Channel (Preview) (3), Current Channel (Staged) (4), Current Channel (Broad) (5), Critical - Time delay (6) |