Microsoft has confirmed that some Windows Server 2019 and 2022 systems were unexpectedly upgraded to Windows Server 2025 due to the use of third-party patch management tools. The company noted that Windows Server 2025 is now available as an optional update for organizations seeking an in-place upgrade. The issue was attributed to some third-party tools misinterpreting the optional update tag and deploying it as a required update. Heimdal, one affected company, reported that roughly 7% of their clients were upgraded before they managed to block the update.
Despite acknowledging the issue and stating it has been mitigated, Microsoft has not yet provided guidance on how to reverse the automatic upgrades other than system restoration from backups. This update, KB5044284, remains classified as an optional cumulative update for Windows Server 2025 and Windows 11 24H2, and future updates will share the same KB numbers but link to separate release notes. Admins were also misled by a banner offering an upgrade without clarifying that a new license was required, which caused further frustration.
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