Policy
Automatic Updates detection frequency
Windows 11 25H2
Policy overview
Key metadata and intent for this policy.
Supported OS tags: Windows2000, Windows7, Windows8, WindowsServer2003, WindowsServer2008, WindowsServer2012, WindowsVista, WindowsXP
Specifies the hours that Windows will use to determine how long to wait before checking for available updates. The exact wait time is a sum of the specific value and a random variant of 0-4 hours. If the status is set to Enabled, Windows will check for available updates at the specified interval. If the status is set to Disabled or Not Configured, Windows will check for available updates at the default interval of 22 hours. Note: The "Specify intranet Microsoft update service location" setting must be enabled for this policy to have effect. Note: If the "Configure Automatic Updates" policy is disabled, this policy has no effect. Note: This policy is not supported on Windows RT. Setting this policy will not have any effect on Windows RT PCs.
Registry values
How enabled and disabled states update the registry.
| Registry location | Type | Enabled value | Disabled value |
|---|---|---|---|
| HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU\DetectionFrequencyEnabled | REG_DWORD | 1 | 0 |
Policy elements
Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.
| Element | Type | Registry mapping | Constraints & behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
interval (hours): ID DetectionFrequency_Hour2 | decimal | HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU\DetectionFrequency Type REG_DWORD | Range: 1 to 22 |
Other policies in this category
Explore related policies at the same level.
- ComputerAllow signed updates from an intranet Microsoft update service locationAt least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP1, excluding Windows RT
- ComputerDo not connect to any Windows Update Internet locationsAt least Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1
- ComputerEnable client-side targetingAt least Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 or Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, excluding Windows RT
- UserRemove access to use all Windows Update featuresAt least Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 or At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 through Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2 with most current service pack. Not supported on Windows 10 and above.
- ComputerSpecify intranet Microsoft update service locationAt least Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 or Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, excluding Windows RT
- ComputerSpecify source service for specific classes of Windows UpdatesAt least Windows Server 2022, or Windows 10 Version 2004