The impending deadline for the end of support for Windows 10 has many organizations contemplating their next steps. While the transition to Windows 11 is on the horizon, companies and small businesses are advised to approach this shift with caution. A significant number of these entities rely on Microsoft Intune, a cloud-based management solution that empowers administrators to oversee multiple devices and set policies regarding updates.
However, a recent bug within Intune has emerged, leading to an unexpected upgrade to Windows 11, even when such updates have been explicitly blocked. This issue, acknowledged by Microsoft in a post on the Microsoft 365 admin center and reported by BleepingComputer, has been present since April 12. Notably, it impacts only those devices managed through Intune.
What to do if you’re using Intune
For system administrators overseeing numerous computers within organizations, Microsoft Intune provides the capability to dictate which software updates are permissible for installation, including upgrades to new Windows versions. The root cause of this bug, which leads to the disregard of Intune settings, remains unclear, as does the extent of its impact on affected systems. Nevertheless, Microsoft is actively working towards a resolution. In the interim, the company advises pausing all Windows feature updates via Intune to mitigate further complications.
What to do if you’ve been upgraded
For those managing devices through Intune that have inadvertently upgraded to Windows 11 despite existing policies to prevent such changes, there are two primary paths forward. Organizations can either adapt to the new environment of Windows 11 or undertake the labor-intensive process of manually reverting each system back to Windows 10.
It is important to note that Microsoft does not provide an automated method for rolling back from Windows 11 to Windows 10. The manual rollback process can be intricate and time-consuming, typically requiring the creation of a bootable Windows 10 device and performing a fresh installation. For those seeking guidance, a quick reference guide on downgrading from Windows 11 to Windows 10 is available to assist in this endeavor.
This information has been adapted from our sister publication, PC-WELT, and translated from German for broader accessibility.
