Windows Preview Updates - How to prevent download & install?

Hello Forum,

I'm running Windows 10 Pro 64-bit version 2004.

Windows Update downloaded and installed another Preview Update, October 1, 2020-KB4576945, yesterday. I've had no luck preventing these preview updates from installing. Actually, two preview updates were presented by WU, but one, KB4577063, is an optional update, so it's not a problem.

I've contacted Microsoft Support, via chat and telephone, but I'm only able to connect to India and they are clueless.

Apparently, Windows 10 users, unlike Windows 7, have no control over being force fed non-optional Windows Updates.

Microsoft indicates you can't avoid security updates, but the four preview updates that have been installed on my system since 1 August are not security updates.

Does anyone have a solution to avoid unwanted preview updates?

Regards

I had a chat with a Microsoft Ambassador, and he suggested the the Group Policy method. He suggested option 2 or option 5. Option 5 indicates it doesn't apply to Windows 10. I didn't see anything in the description of option 2 that indicated I would be able to selectively approve individual updates. My telephone conversation with Microsoft Support indicated that I couldn't control individual non-optional updates.

Rather than use a third party program, I'd prefer to use the organic Microsoft tools, if they are capable of blocking preview updates.

I didn't see a Ten Forums tutorial that explains how to control the download and install of individual non-security non-optional updates.

I see you're running Windows 10 Home. Does Windows 10 Pro have a feature to selectively install non-optional updates?

From what I see, it appears that only Option 2 in the Group Policy Editor - Local Computer Policy/ Administrative Templates/ Windows Components/ Windows Update/ Configure Automatic Updates is available in Windows 10 Pro to control the install of updates

2 = Notify before downloading and installing any updates.

When Windows finds updates that apply to this computer, users will be notified that updates are ready to be downloaded. After going to Windows Update, users can download and install any available updates.

As noted in the quote above, from the way it's worded, it's not clear that "any available updates" can be downloaded and installed selectively.

I've got it set, but as expected, it has no effect on security updates such as Defender updates.

Unless anyone knows something that I don't, it appears that there isn't an organic feature or tool in Windows 10 Pro to selectively install non-security non-optional updates. The less convenient method provided by Microsoft, mentioned in the previous post, doesn't appear to control the initial installation. Rather, it appears to offer a method to halt the re-installation of a removed problematic update.

It appears that the only option is a third party utility.

I've sent Microsoft a Windows Update feedback "suggestion" to make all Preview Updates optional. Specifically, Microsoft needs to stop force feeding Preview Updates.