I have had a recent experience where a Windows 10 app malfunctioned.  When I reported the problem, the response was to manually reinstall using an unpublished (well I could not find it referenced on the vendor's website) URL.  The new install was a maintenance-only release - no new features.  I queried this, and the response was that the new release required a new release level of .NET and the only way this could be checked is during a full install.  The Automatic Update is an in-place install and therefore not usable in these circumstances.  I installed the new release and it fixed he problem.

The App concerned does display 'new release is available' but this is through an app-based pop-up message (so not seen until the user fires up the app) and although the pop-up requires user action to dismiss (ie an OK button) no details of how to get this release are given.  I mistakenly believed the pop-up was reporting a new version had been installed as I had 'auto-update' set.

I pointed out to the vendor that the availability of new updates should be notified to the user base through an email with full install instructions included, with the pop-up message being a backup nag.  Apparently the vendor considers this a 'new feature suggestion'.  How hard is it to send an email to the affected user base?

The problem I have is that 'automatic update' cannot be relied on to keep the app up-to-date and as a user I am effectively not notified when a new release is available.

Is this common practice?