Device Actions in Advanced Insights
Applies to: Patch My PC Advanced Insights for Configuration Manager
Advanced Insights lets you run a range of client actions directly against your managed devices, without opening the Configuration Manager console. Actions are available in two places:
Device Details view – the toolbar at the top of a single device's detail page (the "device modal").
Bulk Actions – the same actions applied to many devices at once from any device table.
Actions fall into two groups:
Standard ConfigMgr actions – Advanced Insights triggers the built-in Configuration Manager client notification directly through the SMS Provider. These behave exactly as the equivalent right‑click action in the ConfigMgr console.
Custom client actions – provided by the Advanced Insights Inventory Extensions. These require the Inventory Extensions MSI to be installed on the client and are described in more detail below.
Permissions
Advanced Insights must be granted the correct permissions to your SMS Provider for these actions to work. See Insights Configuration Manager Permission requirements.
Device Details toolbar
The toolbar at the top of the Device Details view groups the available actions into menus and buttons.
Buttons and menus are enabled based on the device's state — for example, Wake Up is only available when the device is offline and Wake‑on‑LAN is configured, and Remote Control requires the Remote Control prerequisites.
Actions menu (standard)
Triggers the standard Configuration Manager client notification for common client cycles.
Download Computer Policy
Triggers the Machine Policy Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle so the device picks up new machine‑targeted policy.
Download User Policy
Triggers the User Policy Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle for the logged‑on user.
Discovery Data Record
Sends a new Heartbeat Discovery Data Discovery Record (DDR) to update the device's discovery data.
Hardware Inventory
Triggers the Hardware Inventory Cycle, including the custom Advanced Insights inventory classes.
Software Inventory
Triggers the Software Inventory Cycle.
Compliance menu (standard)
Evaluate App Deployments
Triggers the Application Deployment Evaluation Cycle to re‑evaluate required application deployments.
Evaluate Update Deployments
Triggers the Software Updates Deployment Evaluation Cycle to re‑evaluate deployed updates.
Malware Scan – Quick
Starts a Quick Microsoft Defender / Endpoint Protection scan on the device.
Malware Scan – Full
Starts a Full Microsoft Defender / Endpoint Protection scan on the device.
Logs menu (standard)
Collect logs
Triggers the Configuration Manager Client Diagnostics – Collect Client Logs notification, which uploads the client log files to the site.
View collected logs
Opens the logs that were previously uploaded by a Collect logs action for review.
View Live logs
Streams the client's logs so you can watch activity in near real time.
Restart, Wake Up and Remote Control (standard)
Restart
Sends a restart request to the device using the standard ConfigMgr client notification.
Wake Up
Sends a Wake‑on‑LAN packet to bring an offline device online. Only available when the device is offline and Wake‑on‑LAN is supported.
Remote Control
Launches a remote control session using the ConfigMgr Remote Tools. See Launching Remote Control of a Client from Advanced Insights.
Custom client actions
The following actions are provided by the Advanced Insights Inventory Extensions and are only available on devices that have the Inventory Extensions MSI installed. They are also documented on the Insights Custom Client Actions page.
Patch My PC Actions menu
Install Updates
Installs every update that is advertised to the device as available or required. This is the equivalent of choosing Install All in Software Center. Progress is recorded in UpdatesHandler.log on the client.
Clear CCM Cache
Deletes all items from the Configuration Manager client cache (ccmcache), including persistent cache items, to reclaim disk space or force fresh content downloads.
Repair Client
Runs the Configuration Manager client repair (ccmrepair.exe) to fix a damaged or misbehaving client. Progress is recorded in CcmRepair.log on the client.
Notify
The Notify button sends a message to everyone currently logged on to the device.
Click Notify on the Device Details toolbar.
Type your message in the Send Notification dialog.
Click Send.
A branded message box (using your Software Center company name and logo) is displayed to each interactive user session on the device. Click Close to dismiss the dialog without sending.
Bulk Actions
Most device tables in Advanced Insights includes a Bulk Actions menu, letting you run the same actions against many devices in a single operation.
To run a bulk action:
Select the devices you want to target using the checkboxes in the table. Use quick search and the column filters to narrow the list first if needed.
Open the Bulk Actions menu and choose an action.
The action is queued against every selected device.
The Bulk Actions menu exposes the same standard and custom actions available in the Device Details view:
Standard ConfigMgr actions – Restart, Wake Up, Download Computer Policy, Download User Policy, Discovery Data Record, Hardware Inventory, Software Inventory, Evaluate App Deployments, Evaluate Update Deployments, Malware Scan – Quick, Malware Scan – Full.
Custom client actions – Install Updates, Clear CCM Cache, Repair Client and Notify. These only run on devices that have the Inventory Extensions MSI installed; other selected devices are skipped.
Add devices to a Collection
The device table view also lets you add the selected devices to a ConfigMgr collection:
Add to Collection… – choose one or more existing collections from the drop‑down.
Create new Collection(s) to add to… – create one or more new collections to add the selected devices to.
Click Add Devices to Collections to apply your choice, then Close to return to the table.
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