Create update lists using a reference system and Right-Click

Uptate lists are nice to have but I wish the query engine behind Update Search Folders were more useful, a very common task is to create an update list from a Reference system but there seems to be no easy way of doing that. WQL would be a nice option here.

One solution is to run this brilliant PowerShell script made by Joachim http://cid-dc43b6dbf64a5be0.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!DC43B6DBF64A5BE0!113.entry

But I wanted it to be even easier than that so I modified the console to add a Right-Click option.

1. Save the PowerShell script as %windir%\system32\Create-UpdateList.ps1
2. Run PowerShell.exe
3. Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted              (Note: potential security risk)
4. Then Exit
5. Create “\Microsoft Configuration Manager\AdminUI\XmlStorage\Extensions\Actions\7ba8bf44-2344-4035-bdb4-16630291dcf6\UpdateActions.XML”
6. Restart the SCCM Console

UpdateActions.XML:
<ActionDescription Class="Group" DisplayName="Update Actions" MnemonicDisplayName="Client Actions" Description="Update Actions" SqmDataPoint="53">

  <ActionGroups>

    <ActionDescription Class="Executable" DisplayName="Create Update List from  a Ref. system" MnemonicDisplayName="Mnemonic" Description="Mnemonic Description">

      <Executable>

        <FilePath>powershell.exe</FilePath>

<Parameters>Create-UpdateList.ps1 -ReferenceClient ##SUB:Name## -UpdateListName Ref-##SUB:Name##</Parameters>

      </Executable>

    </ActionDescription>     

   </ActionGroups>

</ActionDescription>
 

Now you can just Right Click the Reference system, select the new action to create a Update List with all fixes applicable to that system, then you can use drag-and-drop into the Update List you are using to generate or maintain a deployment.