We are delighted to announce our latest patch engine will be launched to both N-sight and N-central beginning on the 13th February.
With PME 2.13 we are focusing on two critical elements of patching, Detection and Installation
Patch Detection Improvements
This engine introduces a full hybrid approach to patch detection that leverages the full capabilities of both our engines within a single scan.
Up until this build, we have used online and offline detections for different parts of our scans.
Online – This scan leverages the Windows Update Agent and its ability to detect installed and needed patches by communicating directly to Microsoft’s servers.
Offline – This scan uses an offline bundle of detection files sourced by N-able
On N-sight we have historically used the full power of the online scan and leveraged the offline engine to provide patches not typically found by the Windows Update Agent like Older Cumulative Updates, some out of band patches etc.
On N-central we did the same, but N-central also has an offline patching option to use only the offline engine and use it for ALL patches.
With this release we have combined the full power of both into our main scan. Offline mode within N-central will continue to function as normal.
Key Benefits of the New Hybrid Online Detection:
✅ More Comprehensive Patch Coverage – By integrating our entire offline engine capabilities, we can identify patches that WUA may miss, this is common on devices with corrupt or mismanaged Windows Update Registry Keys
✅ Improved Reliability – If WUA fails detections for any reason, for example the device moves to a network which impacts it’s ability to communicate with Microsoft, PME can still detect and deploy critical updates, ensuring systems remain secure and up to date, as long as it has the offline bundle of detection files.
Patch Installation Improvements
We’ve also made the decision to prioritize MSU files over CAB files for patch installations because, over time, we’ve consistently seen that MSU files offer greater reliability. A common trend in support cases involving failed installations is underlying issues with DISM, which often prevent CAB files from installing correctly. In every case, manually installing the update via WUSA using an MSU file has resolved the issue.
To improve reliability, when both MSU and CAB files are detected as options for a patch, we will now default to using the MSU file instead of the CAB as we do currently.
We previously made this change within our offline-only engine on N-central, where it proved highly successful in reducing installation failures. Now, by expanding this approach across our broader patching engine, we’re ensuring a smoother, more consistent, and dependable patching experience.
Please note that due to the database changes involved this engine will be deployed to both RC and GA profiles within N-central and to N-sight devices as normal.
Fixed Bugs
PMCM-2783: Fixed issue where third party patch engine cannot properly find the locale for the installed version of foxit reader in the registry.