MD-102 Manage and maintain devices Practice Question
This MD-102 practice question tests your understanding of manage and maintain devices. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
You have a Windows 11 device that is co-managed with Configuration Manager and Microsoft Intune. After migrating the Windows Update workload to Intune, users report that they can still manually check for updates in Windows Settings and install optional updates. You need to prevent users from installing optional updates. Which setting should you configure in Intune?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set 'Allow non-Microsoft signed updates' to 'Block'.
Option C is correct because the 'Allow non-Microsoft signed updates' policy, when set to 'Block', prevents the installation of optional updates that are not signed by Microsoft. In a co-managed environment where the Windows Update workload is moved to Intune, this setting specifically targets and blocks optional updates from being installed via Windows Settings, while still allowing critical and security updates to be delivered as configured.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Set 'Configure Automatic Updates' to '2 - Notify for download and notify for install'.
Why it's wrong here
This only changes notification behavior, does not block optional updates.
✗
Set 'Defer quality updates' to '30 days'.
Why it's wrong here
Deferral delays updates but does not prevent optional updates.
✓
Set 'Allow non-Microsoft signed updates' to 'Block'.
Why this is correct
Blocking non-Microsoft signed updates prevents optional updates from being installed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Set 'Specify intranet Microsoft update service location' to point to WSUS.
Why it's wrong here
This configures WSUS, but does not block optional updates from Windows Update.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'deferral' policies (like deferring quality updates) with 'blocking' policies, assuming that deferring updates indefinitely will prevent installation, but deferral only delays updates and does not block optional updates, which require a specific block policy like 'Allow non-Microsoft signed updates'.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the 'Allow non-Microsoft signed updates' policy (configured via the Update policy CSP in Intune) controls the 'AllowSignedUpdates' policy in the Windows Update client. When set to 'Block', the Windows Update client rejects any update that is not signed by Microsoft, including optional updates from third parties or optional Microsoft updates that are not classified as critical or security. In a co-managed scenario, this setting is enforced by Intune's Windows Update for Business policy and overrides any local user attempts to install optional updates through the Settings app.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MD-102 question in full detail.
Manage and maintain devices — This question tests Manage and maintain devices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set 'Allow non-Microsoft signed updates' to 'Block'. — Option C is correct because the 'Allow non-Microsoft signed updates' policy, when set to 'Block', prevents the installation of optional updates that are not signed by Microsoft. In a co-managed environment where the Windows Update workload is moved to Intune, this setting specifically targets and blocks optional updates from being installed via Windows Settings, while still allowing critical and security updates to be delivered as configured.
What should I do if I get this MD-102 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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