Figuring out when the next maintenance should be trivial. The Administrators can usually track it down, but sometimes it’s great to empower the users. Teach them to fish and give yourself some time back!

History

Software Center should be the go to place to figuring when the next maintenance window is, and in this case, it still is. I find that the golden nugget, the Maintenance Window time is buried a little bit. Users have the ability to go into Software Center and easily find their way to the Options and set their Business Hours.

When a user opens software center, they’re usually presented with their Applications. It is presented with nice neat tiles. Unfortunately, all the information is not shown. I like to click the “List View” option to show more information.

This shows a little bit information. In my case, I have installed the Applications above. Let’s look at Software Updates, as these change every month. Let’s start off at looking at the next screenshot. This is where I find a lot of “confusion” comes in and people want to know when will the Update be installed. A user thinks, outside my defined business hours? Well yes, but also no. What if the SCCM Administrator has defined some “hidden” Maintenance Windows, and also have configured deadlines upon the deployment. Oh, confusing!

If you look below, the Available updates make sense. The user/admin can install them at any time they like. They will also never be force installed. The items that have “Past due – will be installed” makes sense, but when!? This is what confuses users and administrators. The easiest way to find out, check with the SCCM Administrator or SCCM console, right? Well as SCCM changes so fast, I’ll have to say that was True until SCCM CB 1806. So now the answer is, let’s teach the user.

The New World

CB 1806 – Go ahead, click the Installation Status. This doesn’t help so much more. But if you look a little closer, the SCCM team has added an “Upcoming” link.

Once you click on the “Upcoming” link, you see pretty much the exact same screen, but it’s filters out the Installed Apps/Updates. Now here is the new addition to the screen. It will actually show you the “Next maintenance window”!

Old School Methods

There are a few old school methods that still work. Depending on your access and accessibility to the client in question.

• On the client – C:\Windows\CCM\Logs\ServiceWindowManager.log
• Client Center for Configuration Manager
• Recast Right Click Tools

Leave a comment below if you think this small change will help.