Windows 10 installs .NET Framwork Preview Update KB4562902 withouth user consent

[German]It seems to me that Microsoft no longer really has its update process under control. Forced updates from Windows 10 systems to my builds – and also an installation of optional updates without further user request.

Preview updates are forced to install

Actually, preview updates should be found as optional when searching for updates. Then the user has to initiate the download and installation of this update via a hyperlink. But exactly this mechanism fails with some Windows 10 clients and Windows Server 2019 machines. German blog reader Olaf (and ex-MVP colleague) contacted me last week and shared one of his observations. As a professional administrator he is in charge of the client's systems – but in these cases probably in unmanaged environments.

He writes: "On several customer systems with Windows 10 1909 and a Windows Server 2019, the .NET Framework preview update was installed just like that after I checked for updates from Microsoft in the settings. It is particularly fatal that this also happens with Windows Server 2019. It is the update KB4567327 from July 21, 2020, which Microsoft only recommends to install here.

Forced feature upgrade for older Windows 10 versions

I already reported a few days ago that Microsoft opens all the floodgates for Windows 10 and forcibly updates machines with older operating system versions to the current Windows 10 version (see Windows 10: Forced update to 2004 for old versions?). Olaf told me about Facebook there as well:  :

I just wonder, why suddenly all clients in a small office got Windows 10 2004 installed automatically on their PCs without anyone clicking it. Previous installed version was 1909. I thought Microsoft will allow the users to select feature updates separately from the normally configured update policy??? Thanks for another broken evening…

There, in a small office, all Windows 10 clients had suddenly been forced to upgrade to Windows 10 May 2020 Update (Version 2004). Microsoft has simply degenerated into a 'garage company', where you get a lot of trash. The message of Microsoft manager Brad Anderson, blurted out a few years ago: 'Leave the update installation to us, we know what's good for you' appears to be just aloof (see Anwender: Überlasst Microsoft die Verwaltung der Updates …).

#PatchLady has observations on the bifurcated mess that has become Windows Update. She sees DIFFERENT behavior in Win10 1903. So your Win 10 Update this month will look and behave differently, depending on whether you're running Win10 2004, 1909 or 1903. https://t.co/o5plYeLXi8

— Woody Leonhard (@AskWoody) July 29, 2020

Addendum: Just read the tweet above. MVP colleague Susan Bradley addressed the same on askwoody.com.