Automatic screen lock / local logout on disconnect causes windows update-initiated restarts

[MFS_Adam]

Following up on a previous thread ("Prevent screen lock when closing RGS remote session"), Windows Update throws a nasty surprise into the mix:

To summarize the above thread, when the remote user disconnects (intentional or by network drop), RGS / ZCentral locks the local console.  The user is still logged in, but with a local login screen.  

Windows interprets this (RGS/Zcentral) locking of the console as an inactive user session, and will initiate an update -- EVEN WHEN "No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations" is set group policies.  See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-server-update-services/deploy... for the corresponding keys for Windows Server; Win10 uses the same.

There does not appear to be a way to stop Windows from rebooting a machine that both (A) has pending updates and (B) does not have any active logged in users.  Zcentral's behaviour on a client disconnect satisfies (B), and Windows will reboot -- even in the middle of full CPU load or other activities.  Not cool.   

Long story, short -- a system that should not be rebooted (The controller for a piece of scientific instrumentation, in my case) is automatically rebooted even while a user session is active in the background. 

HP, this is REALLY bad.  I realize that part of the blame falls on Microsoft for their heavy-handed auto-update policies, but an easy fix is to change the RGS/ZCentral behaviour to not lock the local console on disconnect.  

Make it configurable, sure, but at least give us the option. 

[KellyRGS]

I replied to your private email.