Microsoft has decided to postpone the deprecation of driver synchronization support through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), initially planned for this month. The company’s decision comes after realizing that many of its customers are not yet prepared to transition to alternative methods for obtaining driver updates.
Citing user feedback, Microsoft confirmed that WSUS will continue providing driver updates for the foreseeable future. Two years ago, Microsoft had communicated its plan to phase out this feature, while ongoing reminders indicated a nearing deadline. Recent statistics indicate that only 34% of WSUS users still utilize the service for driver updates, with just 8% expressing concerns over its potential discontinuation.
Designating a feature as "deprecated" typically marks the end of its active development, but the functionality remains for some time. While Microsoft has been encouraging customers to migrate to modern cloud solutions such as Microsoft Intune and Windows Autopatch—now supporting Windows 11—it acknowledges the ongoing reliance of IT admins on WSUS, especially in disconnected environments.
The continued usage of the WSUS driver synchronization reflects that even the seemingly small group of users translates to millions, including large enterprises. Microsoft promises to maintain its commitment to customer feedback, even as development teams address persistent issues with other Windows features.