Windows update downloaded update ignoring Group Policy

Question

Hello everyone.

Today I got an issue with Windows Update. July 2024 update download to several servers ignoring Group Policy settings. The strange thing WSUS settings disappear and appear again.

2024/07/10 00:29:23.4560554 4984  2452  Shared          Power status changed
2024/07/10 00:29:23.4645006 4984  2452  Agent           Initializing global settings cache
2024/07/10 00:29:23.4645025 4984  2452  Agent           WSUS server: (null)
2024/07/10 00:29:23.4645753 4984  2452  Agent           WSUS status server: (null)
2024/07/10 00:29:23.4645790 4984  2452  Agent           Alternate Download Server: (null)
2024/07/10 00:29:23.4645802 4984  2452  Agent           Fill Empty Content Urls: No
2024/07/10 00:29:23.4645813 4984  2452  Agent           Target group: (Unassigned Computers)
2024/07/10 00:29:23.4645825 4984  2452  Agent           Windows Update access disabled: No
2024/07/10 00:29:23.4645837 4984  2452  Agent           Do not connect to Windows Update Internet locations: No
...
2024/07/10 00:40:43.4934553 4984  2452  Agent           Refreshing global settings cache
2024/07/10 00:40:43.4934582 4984  2452  Agent           WSUS server: http://wsus01.example.com:8530 (Changed)
2024/07/10 00:40:43.4934595 4984  2452  Agent           WSUS status server: http://wsus01.example.com:8530 (Changed)
2024/07/10 00:40:43.4934608 4984  2452  Agent           Alternate Download Server: (null) (Changed)
2024/07/10 00:40:43.4934620 4984  2452  Agent           Fill Empty Content Urls: No (Unchanged)
2024/07/10 00:40:43.4934630 4984  2452  Agent           Target group: Update_1st_Saturday (Changed)
2024/07/10 00:40:43.4934640 4984  2452  Agent           Windows Update access disabled: No (Unchanged)
2024/07/10 00:40:43.4934650 4984  2452  Agent           Do not connect to Windows Update Internet locat

The Windows OS is Windows Server 2022

Before the issue the latest update that the server has was June 2024 update

Is it a bug of Windows Update?

Answer 1

Doubtful being a bug - more likely it's an RMM client that's changing and overwriting GPOs

https://www.ajtek.ca/wsus/client-machines-not-reporting-to-wsus-properly/#RMM

Answer 2

Hello

As far as I know, the group policy refreshed every 90 by default.

Group Policy is automatically refreshed when you restart the domain member computer, or when a user logs on to a domain member computer. In addition, Group Policy is periodically refreshed. By default, this periodic refresh is performed every 90 minutes with a randomized offset of up to 30 minutes.

Refresh Group Policy | Microsoft Learn

We may try to adjust the group policy refresh rate to more frequently.

• Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy.

On the right pane, look for the policy setting Set Group Policy refresh interval for computer

Answer 3

Hello,

are these local or domain policies?

Is there the possibility of a third party application that could be changing the windows update registry key of these policies?

Suggest you configure the OS to audit changes in this windows update registry keys.