Autodesk Scheduled Updates vs. Manually Pushing Updates

Issue:

You are trying to determine the best way to run Autodesk updates for your users.

Solution:

Two options for updating your Autodesk products for your users are to use Autodesk Scheduled updates or to push the updates out manually.

Here's how each one works, how they compare, and how to pick.

How Scheduled Updates works

An admin creates an update policy in Autodesk Account, picks the products and versions it covers, sets a weekly, monthly or quarterly cadence, and assigns it to users or groups. On the scheduled day, the Autodesk installer services on each device install the updates using system permissions, so users don't need admin rights. (See How to Schedule Autodesk Software Updates for setting up a policy.)

What to know about the timing:

• Local time. The start time is applied in each device's local time zone, so 10 PM is 10 PM in both New York and London.
• Four-hour window. Updates can start any time within four hours of the start time.
• Retries. If the device is off or a product is open, it retries in the same window for the next two days. After three misses, the updates move to the next scheduled date.
• Postponing. Users can postpone up to three times, one day at a time (see Postponing an Autodesk Scheduled Update).
• Critical updates. Fixes for security issues, data loss or crashes can install sooner than the regular schedule.
• Holding an update. If an update breaks something, you can hold it in the policy until you restore it or a newer update replaces it.

What it needs on each device:

• The user is signed in to an Autodesk product with their Autodesk ID. This is how Autodesk ties the device to the policy.
• The device is on and someone is signed in to Windows (the screen can be locked).
• All Autodesk products are closed (see Autodesk Products Must Be Closed for Scheduled Updates).
• Autodesk Access isn't strictly required, but without it users get no notice of upcoming updates. Install it.

What it doesn't do:

• Install new yearly releases (2026 to 2027). It only installs updates within a version.
• Install updates that are full reinstalls, updates that must install in the user's context, or extensions, plug-ins, content and language packs.

How pushing updates yourself works

IT downloads the updates and deploys them with the same tools it uses for other software: Intune, SCCM/ConfigMgr, PDQ, or a script. There are two common ways to do it:

1. Rebuild the deployment. Since the 2022 releases, a custom deployment created in Autodesk Account can include the latest updates. Rebuild the deployment when a new update comes out and use it for new installs, so new machines start current.
2. Deploy the update on its own. Download the update from Autodesk Account and push it silently to existing installs. 

How to decide

Use Scheduled Updates if:

• Your users have named-user licenses and sign in to their products.
• You have a small IT team, or no one whose job is packaging software.
• Your users don't depend on many third-party add-ins that could break after an update.

Push updates yourself if:

• You use network licenses.
• Every update has to be tested against add-ins, templates or a validation process before it reaches users.
• You already deploy everything through Intune or SCCM and want Autodesk handled the same way.
• Your network limits internet downloads, or you need updates served from inside your network.

About the Author

System Support Analyst

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