Managing application lifecycles in Microsoft Intune can be challenging, especially when older versions need to be replaced or upgraded seamlessly. This is where Win32 App Supersedence comes in. Supersedence allows IT admins to automatically uninstall outdated apps and deploy newer versions—or even replace them with entirely different Win32 apps—without manual intervention.
In this step‑by‑step guide, we’ll walk through how to configure Supersedence in Intune using a practical example with Notepad++. You’ll learn how to prepare the installation source, create the Intunewin package, set detection rules, and validate the deployment, ensuring a smooth upgrade experience for both admins and end users.
Review the existing deployed version
Before upgrading or replacing an application, it’s important to review the versions currently deployed in your environment. Identify all older builds that will be superseded by the new deployment. This information is essential when configuring the Supersedence relationship later in Intune.
In my test environment, only one older version of Notepad++ is installed. The screenshot below shows the details of this deployment. For this walkthrough, we’ll replace that version with Notepad++ 7.9.1.
Prepare Win32 App Installation Source for Intune
The Intune Win32 Content Prep Tool (intuneWinAppUtil.exe) is used to create a single deployment package for Microsoft Intune. In this example, we’ll generate an Intunewin package for Notepad++ 7.9.1.
Follow these steps to prepare the package:
- Download the Intune Prep Tool
Obtain theintuneWinAppUtil.exeutility from Microsoft. - Organize the Source Folder
Place all installation files—and any supporting files—inside a single source folder.
(For this walkthrough, the folder is namedNotepad++ 7.9.1.) - Position the Prep Tool
CopyintuneWinAppUtil.exeoutside of the installation source folder.
This ensures the tool can correctly reference the source directory when packaging.
- Once your source folder is ready, the next step is to generate the Intunewin package using the Intune Win32 Content Prep Tool.
- Open Command Prompt
Navigate to the root directory where you placed the installation source folder and theintuneWinAppUtil.exefile. - Run the Prep Tool
Execute the utility and provide the required inputs when prompted:
IntuneWinAppUtil.exe
After running the Intune Win32 Content Prep Tool, the .intunewin file is generated in the root folder. This packaged file is what you’ll later select as the source package during Intune app deployment.
In this example, the Notepad++ 7.9.1 .intunewin file appears in the root directory alongside the prep tool. This file will be referenced when configuring the application in Intune.
Setup and Deploy Win32 App Supersedence Deployment in Intune
Add Win32 App:
On the Microsoft Intune admin console, select Apps > Windows App > Add
Select Windows app (Win32) from the App type drop-down list
Click on Select
Click on Select app package file
Browse to the folder where the .intunewin file was created and select it as the package source.
Once selected, Intune will display the file details (such as name, size, and path). Review this information to confirm accuracy, then click OK to proceed
App Information:
On the App Information page, review the default details and update them as needed to ensure clarity and consistency across your Intune environment.
You can customize fields such as:
- Description – Provide a clear summary of the app’s purpose or functionality.
- Publisher – Enter the vendor or developer name (e.g., Notepad++ Team).
- Category – Assign the app to a logical category for easier discovery and management.
- Logo – Upload an application logo to improve visibility in the Company Portal.
Updating these details not only helps with organization but also enhances the end‑user experience when browsing apps in the portal.
Click on Next
Program:
On the Program page, review the available options and update them if your deployment requires customization. These settings control how the installer runs during deployment.
For this walkthrough, we’ll proceed with the default values, as they are sufficient for deploying Notepad++ 7.9.1 in this scenario.
Requirements:
On the Requirements page, define the conditions that client devices must meet before the application can be installed. These rules ensure that the app is deployed only to compatible systems.
For this deployment, we’ve configured the following requirements:
- Operating system architecture: 64‑bit
- Minimum operating system: Windows 10, version 1903
- Disk space: At least 500 MB free
- Physical memory: Minimum 4 GB RAM
By setting these requirements, Intune will automatically validate whether a device meets the criteria before attempting installation, reducing deployment errors and ensuring a smoother rollout.
Check this blog post if you want to deep dive into the Requirements rule.
Detection rule:
Detection rules are used to validate the presence of the application on client devices. In the Detection Rules pane, you can define how Intune confirms that the app is installed correctly.
For this deployment, we’ll use the MSI product code as the detection method.
Follow these steps:
- From the Rules format drop‑down list, select Manually configure detection rules.
- Click Add to create a new rule.
- Set Rule type to MSI.
- The MSI product code will populate automatically based on the installer.
- Click OK to save the rule.
If you’d like to explore detection rules in more detail—including file, registry, and custom script options—check out the referenced blog post Understanding Win32 app detection rules for a deeper dive.
Review the Detection rule on the next page and click on Next
Dependencies:
On the Dependencies page, you can specify whether the application relies on other Win32 apps to function correctly. Dependencies ensure that prerequisite apps are installed before the main app is deployed.
In this case, Notepad++ has no dependencies, so we can simply skip this step and click Next to continue.
If you’d like to explore how dependencies work—including scenarios where apps require supporting components—check out the referenced blog post for a deeper dive into Win32 App Dependencies.
Supersedence:
The Win32 app Supersedence option allows you to update or replace existing Win32 applications with newer versions—or even with a completely different app. Supersedence relationships define how Intune handles upgrades, replacements, and removals during deployment.
Follow these steps to add a Supersedence relationship:
- In the Supersedence (Preview) pane, click Add.
- Select the existing application that will be superseded.
- Define whether the new app should replace or upgrade the older version.
- Save the configuration to establish the Supersedence relationship.
This ensures that when the new package is deployed, Intune automatically manages the transition from the older version to the newer one, reducing manual effort and deployment errors.
To establish the Supersedence relationship, type the name of the application in the search box to quickly locate the version you want to replace.
- Enter the application name (e.g., Notepad++).
- From the search results, select the specific version to be superseded.
- Click Select to confirm your choice.
In this example, we’ve chosen Notepad++ version 7.8.9, which will be replaced by the newer Notepad++ version 7.9.1 during deployment.
On the next screen, you’ll define how Intune should handle the older version of the application when deploying the new one.
- Select “Yes” under Uninstall the previous version if you want the older app to be completely removed and replaced by the new version.
- Select “No” if you prefer to upgrade in place, meaning the new version will install over the existing one (if supported by the installer).
For this deployment, we’ll choose Yes, since the goal is to replace the older Notepad++ 7.8.9 with the newer Notepad++ 7.9.1.
Follow Microsoft documentation if you need further clarification on the supersedence behavior of an application.
Click on Next
Assignments :
In the Assignments pane, you can control which users or devices receive the application. Intune allows you to target:
- Specific Azure AD groups
- All users
- All devices
For this deployment, we’ll configure a mandatory assignment to the Azure AD group named “App Notepad++ users.” This ensures that every member of the group automatically receives the new version of Notepad++ without requiring manual installation.
Click on Add group under the Required section.
Select the Azure AD group and click on Select
Review the assignments and click on Next
Review + create
On the Review + create pane, carefully review all the configuration details you’ve entered—such as app information, program settings, requirements, detection rules, dependencies, and Supersedence relationships.
Once you’ve confirmed everything is correct, click Create to finalize the deployment. Intune will then begin processing the application package and make it available according to the assignment settings you defined
Validate the Supersedence Deployment on the Test Machine
To check the deployment status of the application:
- In the Intune portal, go to Devices > Windows > .
- Review the application list and status indicators for the selected device.
In this example:
The new version (Notepad++ 7.9.1) shows a status of Waiting for install, meaning Intune has queued the deployment but installation has not yet completed.
The old version (Notepad++ 7.8.9) is currently installed on the client.
After waiting for some time, the deployment status has updated:
- The new version (Notepad++ 7.9.1) now shows as Installed on the client.
- The old version (Notepad++ 7.8.9) now shows as Not Installed.
Because we configured a Supersedence rule, Intune automatically uninstalled the older version and installed the newer one. This confirms that the Supersedence relationship worked as expected, ensuring a clean upgrade path without requiring manual intervention.
End User Experience
Application Download:
When the deployment begins, the end user receives a notification indicating that the application is being downloaded.
- The message clearly states that the targeted application will replace an existing application.
- In this case, both applications share the same name because the version number was not included in the deployment name.
⚠️ Note: To avoid confusion for end users, it is a best practice to add the version number to the deployment name (e.g., Notepad++ 7.9.1). This ensures users can easily distinguish between the old and new versions during installation.
Application Uninstalled:
As part of the Supersedence process, the end user also receives a notification when the older version of the application is being uninstalled.
- The notification confirms that the previous version of the app is being removed.
- This step ensures a clean transition, preventing conflicts between the old and new versions.
- Once the uninstall completes, Intune proceeds with installing the newer version automatically.
This seamless uninstall/install workflow is the direct result of configuring the Supersedence rule during deployment.
Application Installed:
After the uninstallation of the old version, the end user receives a notification confirming that the new version of the application (Notepad++ 7.9.1) is being installed.
From the user’s perspective, the transition is smooth, with minimal disruption to productivity.
The notification clearly indicates that the application is now being deployed.
This step completes the Supersedence workflow: the older version was removed, and the newer version is installed seamlessly.
Conclusion
By leveraging Win32 app Supersedence in Intune, administrators can seamlessly manage application lifecycle updates—ensuring older versions are automatically uninstalled and replaced with newer ones. In our example, Notepad++ 7.8.9 was cleanly removed and upgraded to Notepad++ 7.9.1, demonstrating how Supersedence simplifies version control, reduces manual effort, and enhances end‑user experience. Whether you’re deploying incremental upgrades or replacing applications entirely, Supersedence provides a reliable, automated way to keep your environment consistent and up to date.
Related Posts
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- Understanding Win32 App Detection Rules
- Understanding Win32 App Requirements Rule
- Upgrade / Replace Win32 Apps with Supersedence Relationship
- Win32 App Deployment with Dependencies
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