Microsoft Introduces Hotpatching Support for Arm64 Devices on Windows 11 24H2

The evolution of Windows update management has reached a pivotal milestone, as Microsoft introduces hotpatching support for 64-bit Arm architecture devices running Windows 11, version 24H2. This announcement not only marks a technical breakthrough for Arm-based enterprise systems but also signals a critical shift in how organizations approach security compliance, system uptime, and productivity in diverse hardware environments. As hotpatching is now generally available on Arm64 platforms, enterprises can leverage this feature to accelerate update rollouts, eliminate unwanted downtime, and streamline IT operations—achievements once largely restricted to x64 architectures.

Understanding Hotpatching and Its Growing Adoption​

Hotpatching is a Windows update technology enabling the installation of critical security patches without the need for disruptive system restarts. Instead of replacing static binaries on disk, hotpatching targets in-memory code, applying updates to the running system kernel or components. This technique ensures that necessary security fixes are applied immediately, closing vulnerabilities as soon as possible while maintaining user productivity.
This capability has seen rapid adoption since its general availability on x64 (AMD/Intel) devices in April 2025. According to Microsoft and corroborating industry metrics, millions of devices and thousands of enterprise customers now receive updates through hotpatch cycles, especially during scheduled release months. As organizations increasingly prioritize endpoint security and operational continuity, the overwhelmingly positive feedback underscores hotpatching’s value proposition—namely, enhancing system reliability and minimizing business interruptions.
A real-world testament comes from Pat Macfarlane, Senior Workstation Engineer at TriNet USA, Inc., who notes, “With Hotpatch and the Autopatch feature updates, we have seen a more enhanced system with minimized downtime and streamlined patch management.” Such enterprise endorsements reinforce the credibility of hotpatching within large, distributed environments.

Why Hotpatching on Arm64 Is a Game-Changer​

Microsoft’s inclusion of Arm64 devices in the hotpatching ecosystem represents far more than a simple technical upgrade. The mobile and thin-client computing sector—where Arm64 platforms thrive due to their power efficiency, low cost, and robust performance per watt—has traditionally lagged behind x64 systems in terms of update sophistication and enterprise-grade manageability. Bringing hotpatch capabilities to Arm64 bridges this gap, empowering organizations to deploy Arm-based devices at scale without compromising on security or compliance.
Key benefits of hotpatching, now fully realized across both major Windows architectures, include:

• Faster Compliance: Immediate application of security updates dramatically reduces the vulnerable window between patch release and device remediation, enhancing an organization’s risk posture.
• No Downtime: Updates are deployed seamlessly, with users experiencing no forced restarts or productivity loss—a crucial advantage for mission-critical environments and remote workforces.
• Smaller Update Payloads: Hotpatches require less bandwidth and have a lighter device footprint, allowing faster deployment and simplified update orchestration.
• Enterprise-Grade Control: Seamless integration with Microsoft Intune and Windows Autopatch streamlines policy-driven management and reporting across device fleets.

For organizations dependent on 64-bit Arm devices—in education, field services, retail, healthcare, and specialized verticals—this move significantly lowers barriers to adoption by matching, and in some cases exceeding, the update experiences available on x64 hardware.

Prerequisites and Key Requirements for Arm64 Hotpatching​

While hotpatching’s value is clear, organizations must take deliberate steps to ensure their Arm64 deployments are ready to receive these benefits. Microsoft outlines a clear set of prerequisites for enabling hotpatching on eligible devices:

• Devices must run Windows 11 Enterprise, version 24H2 (Build 26100.2033 or later), with the latest baseline update installed.
• Microsoft Intune is required to manage hotpatch deployments effectively, leveraging a hotpatch-enabled Windows quality update policy.
• An eligible volume license—such as Windows 11 Enterprise E3/E5, Microsoft 365 F3, Windows 11 Education A3/A5, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or Windows 365 Enterprise—is mandatory.
• Virtualization-based security (VBS) must be enabled, increasing protection against certain classes of threats.
• Compiled Hybrid PE (CHPE) must be disabled—a step unique to Arm64 that demands special attention.

The necessity to disable CHPE (a compatibility layer originally designed to support x86 emulation on Arm) is driven by technical incompatibility with the hotpatch process. While turning it off prompts concerns about x86 application compatibility, Microsoft asserts that users will still be able to run x86 apps in emulation mode; however, performance may vary with workload and environment. Microsoft strongly recommends phased deployment and comprehensive environment validation to evaluate any potential performance impact before broad rollouts.

How to Disable CHPE and Prepare for Hotpatching​

Disabling CHPE on Arm64 devices can be accomplished in one of two supported ways:

1. Using Microsoft Intune or Group Policy:
   • Apply the DisableCHPE policy using the System Policy CSP:
     ../Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Hotpatch/DisableCHPE = 1
   • In the Settings catalog, select “CHPE Binaries Disabled” from the “Disabled CHPE” CSP.
   • Restart the device once to apply the change.
2. Using the Registry:
   • Set the following registry key value to 1 and restart:
     HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\HotPatchRestrictions = 1

Disabling CHPE is a one-time setup step—after which, the device becomes eligible for hotpatch updates. While there are few reported issues, IT administrators must remain vigilant regarding workload-specific performance regressions, validating key applications and processes in a test pilot before committing to organizational deployment.

Enrolling Arm64 Devices in Hotpatching via Intune​

Once prerequisites are satisfied and CHPE is disabled, enrolling devices to receive hotpatch updates requires simple policy modifications within Microsoft Intune:

1. Navigate to Devices > Windows updates > Quality updates in the Intune admin center.
2. For new deployments, select Create Windows quality update policy; for existing policies, locate and edit the relevant one.
3. Under settings, choose Edit next to Automatic update deployment settings.
4. Ensure “When available, apply without restarting the device” is set to Allow.
5. Assign the policy to the appropriate Arm64 device group.
6. Save and deploy. Enrollment is now live, and eligible devices will receive hotpatch updates as part of Microsoft’s regular servicing cadence.

Technical Deep Dive: How Hotpatching Works on Windows 11​

Hotpatching leverages deep Windows internals and a robust in-memory update mechanism to apply security fixes dynamically. Here’s how the process operates under the hood:

• During a hotpatch cycle, eligible code areas within the running Windows kernel or core components are located and safely replaced with updated code, all while remaining operational.
• Hotpatches are MRI (Memory Resident Image) packages that contain only the modified instructions and integrity verification data, resulting in much smaller update sizes compared to cumulative or security rollups.
• The system verifies that in-memory patches do not disrupt running processes, falling back to a standard patch-and-restart approach in rare, unsupported cases.
• For compliance and security auditing, hotpatch deployments are fully reportable via Windows Update compliance dashboards and APIs.

Microsoft’s approach reflects a broader industry trend toward “zero-downtime” patching, long established in critical server and hypervisor environments, but now finally available on desktop and mobile endpoints at scale.

Strengths of Arm64 Hotpatching for Enterprises​

1. Unprecedented Uptime for Modern Workspaces​

Eliminating forced reboots stands as a major accomplishment for IT organizations. In fact, system uptime is not merely a convenience—many sectors, such as healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, rely on uninterrupted service to meet regulatory requirements and ensure market competitiveness. Hotpatching on Arm64 allows a diverse array of devices—from laptops to cellular-connected tablets—to achieve the same update experience as traditional PCs.

2. Improved Security Posture​

The immediacy of hotpatch compliance translates to a dramatically reduced window of vulnerability for zero-day exploits and emerging threats. By decoupling critical patch deployment from monthly reboot cycles, organizations can ensure that their device fleet is protected from the latest threats, even in between broader servicing windows.

3. Efficiency in Update Management​

By integrating with Microsoft Intune and supporting granular device group targeting, hotpatching simplifies the orchestration of update rollouts across global or distributed workforces. Update payloads are smaller, reducing network congestion and accelerating patch compliance in bandwidth-constrained environments, such as remote job sites or mobile-first field operations.

4. Licensing and Integration Flexibility​

Support for a range of enterprise, education, and cloud-based licenses means that most organizations already engaged with Microsoft’s volume licensing can benefit from Arm64 hotpatching without any additional procurement steps. The process also enables sophisticated reporting, alerting, and compliance visibility through familiar management channels.

Risks and Potential Pitfalls​

While the positives are clear, hotpatching on Arm64 devices is not without caveats—both operational and strategic.

1. CHPE Compatibility Trade-offs​

Disabling the CHPE compatibility layer is a necessary but potentially disruptive step, especially for organizations with legacy or heavily x86-dependent applications. While Microsoft claims Arm64 devices retain x86 emulation post-CHPE, performance and compatibility are not universally assured. Environments with custom line-of-business apps or specialized third-party software may encounter edge-case issues that require direct vendor support or alternative deployment strategies.

2. Testing and Validation Overhead​

Enterprise environments vary widely in their infrastructure and the types of workloads they support. IT teams must invest in comprehensive pre-rollout testing, both for performance and application compatibility, before widely enabling hotpatching on Arm64. Microsoft’s own guidance stresses gradual rollout and ongoing validation, meaning that the “set and forget” approach is not advisable for critical business operations.

3. Organizational Readiness​

As with any IT modernization effort, stakeholder readiness and user awareness are vital. Microsoft provides resources such as frequently asked questions, user readiness guides, and monthly servicing calendars, but enterprises should augment these with their own training, communication, and support plans. Failing to prepare users and IT support for new update behaviors can result in confusion, accidental downtime, or missed compliance goals.

4. Vendor and Third-Party Tooling​

The broader Windows ecosystem still lags in full-featured Arm64 support across certain IT, security, and management tools. Organizations with a heterogeneous endpoint mix may face temporary gaps in capability, especially if relying on legacy applications that have not yet optimized for hotpatch-aware servicing.

What Lies Ahead for Arm64 Device Management​

Microsoft’s move to enable hotpatching on 64-bit Arm devices caps a multi-year campaign to offer modern management parity across architectures. With trends indicating a steady increase in Arm-based Windows devices—especially in education and frontline roles—the feature will be a strong draw for organizations seeking to consolidate device types without compromising on update experience or security posture.
Looking to the future, the continued maturation of hotpatching technology will likely address several of today’s limitations. Expected improvements may include:

• Broader Patch Type Coverage: Expanding hotpatching to non-security updates and feature additions, further reducing the role of traditional maintenance windows and forced reboots.
• Deeper Telemetry and Analytics: Enhanced reporting to precisely track compliance, patch effectiveness, and any performance impacts in real-time.
• Ecosystem Integration: Closer coordination with independent software vendors and infrastructure partners to provide certified, end-to-end support for hotpatching on all device types.
• User Experience Advances: Improved messaging, transparency, and rollback options for both administrators and end-users in the event of unanticipated issues.

Industry analysts and IT consulting firms suggest that, as Arm64 adoption accelerates and user awareness of seamless, always-on servicing grows, expectations for zero-downtime patching will become the standard across the Windows ecosystem. Early adopters of Arm64 hotpatching stand to gain a competitive advantage in both operational efficiency and security resilience.

Microsoft’s Support and Community Resources​

To facilitate enterprise adoption and minimize knowledge gaps, Microsoft provides an extensive suite of resources around hotpatching for both x64 and Arm64 devices. These include:

• Detailed technical documentation, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and official release notes via the Microsoft Tech Community and Windows IT Pro Blog.
• Live support and best practice forums, including community discussions on Windows on Microsoft Q&A and dedicated channels on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
• Direct feedback channels and product team engagement at hotpatchfeedback@microsoft.com.
• Monthly service calendars and detailed quality update reports, offering transparency around patch cadence and content.

Keeping abreast of these resources is essential for IT professionals tasked with migrating device fleets or troubleshooting unique deployment scenarios.

Conclusion​

Hotpatching for 64-bit Arm architecture stands as a landmark improvement in Windows update management, delivering critical advantages in compliance speed, system uptime, and administrative efficiency for organizations of all sizes. While risks around compatibility and operational readiness remain, these can be successfully managed with careful planning and structured validation. As Microsoft continues to refine Windows servicing technologies and Arm64 hardware surges in capability, the promise of seamless, interruption-free security is now within every organization’s reach. Institutions embracing hotpatching for their Arm64 devices today will reap tangible rewards in productivity, security, and future-proofing—ushering in a new era of resilient, agile device management for the Windows ecosystem.

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Source: Microsoft - Message Center Hotpatching now available for 64-bit Arm architecture - Windows IT Pro Blog