It seems that Microsoft hasn't yet fixed an issue with Windows Update that was causing Windows PCs all around the globe to automatically update themselves and then reboot overnight. But this time, the software giant isn't causing the auto-reboot behavior purposefully, it says. Which leads us to an even more disturbing scenario: Why can't Microsoft figure out why its own software is causing PCs to keep rebooting?
According to a discussion thread on AeroXperience, users who had configured Windows Update to download but not install updates recently discovered that their machines had rebooted overnight after installing updates automatically. Additionally, the Windows Update setting had somehow reverted to "install automatically."
Microsoft says it has made no changes to Windows Update or Automatic Updates that would cause this behavior. "We have been hearing some questions recently regarding Tuesday's update release changing automatic updating settings," Microsoft Update program manager Nate Clinton wrote recently in one of the company's blogs. "We are still looking into this to see if another application is making this change during setup with user consent, or if this issue is related to something else. We are continuing the investigation."
Last month, Microsoft found itself embroiled in controversy after it was discovered that the company had silently updated the Windows Update components in various Windows versions without alerting customers. The software giant has since changed the way it delivers such updates, making this week's events all the more disturbing. But Microsoft seems to believe that components outside of Windows Update are making the changes this time. In other words, this isn't some insidious plot, at least not from those responsible for Windows Update.
AeroXperience: Automatic Updates feature forces machines across the globe to reboot
