Hotpatch promises fewer reboots — but in 2025–2026 we’ve seen real-world problems: WSUS-related edge cases, enrollment drops after OOB fixes, and patch sequencing misunderstandings. In this session we’ll build an operational playbook for Windows Server 2025 hotpatching: what it is, what it isn’t, how Arc-connected hotpatch updates are delivered, where the known pitfalls show up, and how to design a fallback path when hotpatch isn’t appropriate. We’ll also cover how to interpret release-health known issues and when to consume OOB updates safely.