Patch Management and Reporting with SimpleHelp

[MarsRoad_Support]

Hi all,

New SimpleHelp customer here. We bought it primarily as a secondary remote access tool in the event our primary app has a hiccup-- always nice to have another way in. Upon setup and use, it’s clear SH does a whole lot more than remote access. I’m finding myself defaulting to it as we really like the dashboard for an “at a glance” view of client machines and handy visuals like CPU and memory utilization.

That said, I searched the forums for patch management and reporting. I found these older posts, and curious in there have been any improvements since?

How do you automate Windows Updates using SimpleHelp?

Not sure if I am posting to the right forum category. I would like to automate Windows Updates for our physical and virtual servers. I am thinking about Powershell scripting in SimpleHelp Toolboxes. A script that will weekly check for available critical updates, install them and blocks / delays automatic reboot. Automatic reboot is a bad idea in our environment, some servers need Domain Controller during their startup. Has anybody seen a script like this? Or is there a better approach for Wi…

Tools for updating to 20H2

If anyone else is looking for this, I wrote something that will: Not run during the working hours you specify in the script (can be disabled) Checks that it is a Windows 10 PC and that it’s on a version below 20H2 Check for available hard disk space Display a notification to the user that it’s happening (can be disabled) Downloads Update Assistant and runs it silently I basically wanted something that can be safely run, and if I fat-finger it and run it accidentally during working hours or on…

Patch Management

Here is one of our ABC-Update scripts with email reports. ABC Update - List and install all missing Security Updates from WSUS with reboot. You can modify it for other required options from ABC-Update ABC-Update.exe /S:WSUS /A:Install /R:3 /C:SecurityUpdates /Q: IsInstalled=0 AND isAssigned=1 /Log:C:\Support\ABC-Update.Log /MailTo:you@yourdomain.com /MailFrom:abcupdate@yourdomain.com /MailServ:mail.yourdomian.com:25 /MailUser:abcupdate@yourdomain.com /MailPwd:Passwordhere

Is using ABC Update and Chocolaty still the primary go-to options if trying to keep patch management all within SH and not going with an “as a service” paid offering?

Any reporting capabilities that would pull a basic inventory with some general info like CPU model, amount of RAM, computername, friendly name, etc. by site/client? It looks like all the data is there, the amount of data in fact SH provides around end user machines is great.

Thanks for any feedback, we really like this-- patch management would be huge. If the best approach is still ABC Update/Chocolaty that’s fine… just checking since we’re just getting started and would like to go with best approach right out of the chute.

Thank any of you in advance for feedback!

[Darrell_Swafford]

The machines I am under contract to take care of are windows domain machines. I use GPOS and WSUS, Powershell to handle windows patches.

For application patches I have started using SimpleHelp with RuckZuck https://ruckzuck.tools/
I have a simplehelp alert that runs a custom script. It checks if ruckzuck is installed or not. If not runs remediation to install it. Then ( not yet implemented. POC currently. ) runs an alert with custom script to check for updates. If updates/patches, run remediation to auto patch silently.

My customers under contract use BitDefender AV already. The basic gravityzone package they have already does risk assessment and shows what applications are out of date. It is a separate add-on cost if you want Bitdefender to patch third-party software. Pricing is not bad and I may move to that later. But for now what I have works. Example pricing: It varies depending on quantity and how many licenses you purchase, what vendor you use etc.https://www.insight.com/en_US/shop/product/2897ZZBEN120GLZZ/BITDEFENDER/2897ZZBEN120GLZZ/BitDefender-GravityZone-Patch-Management---subscription-license--1-year----1-license/

The toolboxes you listed above are also good options.

If you want more reporting capabilities, check out scancircle.https://www.scancircle.com/en
SimpleHelp integration here:
Integrate Scancircle with Simple Help. SC gives full stats

[Jayjayuk]

I have noticed that in alerts there is an option called “Operating System Updates” - I am nots sure what it does or can do?

[Darrell_Swafford]

It checks if the OS has updates. You can set an alert or remediation script.
It checks the OS be it, windows, mac, or linux.

[Darrell_Swafford]

For remediation, if you are using windows, you can use the OS updates trigger an alert then run a script to install the updates.
Here is a good for how to manage windows updates with powershell:
https://petri.com/how-to-manage-windows-update-using-powershell/

[Jayjayuk]

Thanks,

Are there built in scripts to resolve it?

[Darrell_Swafford]

No. Nothing built-in. Unless they added something recently I missed.

What you would do it create a toolbox, add tool, Type powershell script.
Then add something like the following but with your own search criteria.

Get-Command -Module WindowsUpdateProvider
$Updates = Start-WUScan -SearchCriteria “Type=‘Software’ AND IsInstalled=0”
Install-WUUpdates -Updates $Updates

Then on the alert, side add a trigger action. Action to take, run a toolbox tool. Then pick the tool you just made with script above. You can have multiple trigger actions. So you can set it to alert technician and run the tool.

[Jayjayuk]

A year on and any updates on this especially with Windows 11?

[Jayjayuk]

I have found action1 which is free upto 100 devices and does patch Management

[Jayjayuk]

@Darrell_Swafford

Thank you for your help!
OK, I have done the O/s alert notification, but I have set it to use ABC-Update.
ABC- Update runs and says 0 more updates, logging into the machine, shows all up to date, but still the alert shows? how can I fix this please?

also how can i set a prompt to get the user to restart please? is there a way to show a message?