Tip: Some unchecked Windows updates are installed when using automatic updates

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Tip: I noticed that two Windows updates (KB3021917 and KB971033) that were installed yesterday when testing automatic Windows updates (on a Windows 7 computer that didn’t have those updates installed before) are updates that are unchecked by default when manually using Windows Update. I wasn’t expecting that to happen. I’m not sure if this behavior has been documented before.

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It has been mentioned online as far back as 2010 that KB971033 may install automatically. That particular poster mentioned that he had set Windows Update to never check for updates, yet he claims that KB971033 somehow automatically installed. That poster didn’t mention whether or not he was opted into Microsoft’s CEIP, which makes me wonder if being opted into CEIP triggered KB971033’s automatic install? There is no need to uninstall KB971033, nor should you try to.

KB3021917 installs telemetry and performs a telemetry run to determine if your Win7 computer will encounter issues if it is upgraded to a later version of Windows (more specifically, Windows 10). If you are concerned about avoiding Win7 updates which install telemetry, then uninstall KB3021917 and hide it when it reappears the next time you check for updates.

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Thank you for the information. To clarify though, there are at least two Windows updates (those that I mentioned in my first post) that install when using Windows Update setting “Install updates automatically” that don’t install if instead you manually run Windows Update (using setting “Never check for updates”) and let all of the updates ticked by default install. I had previously assumed that there would be no difference between the two.

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(Note: I was the anonymous original poster.)

Using one of the scripts at https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/how-to-view-detailed-information-about-a-given-windows-update/, KB3021917 has AutoSelection=1 and AutoDownload=2. Most updates have AutoSelection=0 and AutoDownload=0. This is consistent with the behavior of KB3021917 observed in the first post.

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I’m glad I noticed this tip. KB971033 was indeed secretly installed on my Group B Win7 Pro SP1. (KB3021917 not)
Thanks a million @MrBrian!

Anymore of these sneeky b*st*rds around?

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MrBrian

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