How to Prevent Windows From Restarting After an Update

Quick Tips

• Windows updates often require a restart.
• You can control the timing of updates by only allowing them to happen between specific hours.
• Pending updates can have the restart time manually scheduled.

Unexpected Windows updates can be frustrating if they interrupt your productivity. While there are patch updates that occur in the background with no need for a restart, Windows usually releases substantial cumulative updates at least once per month. These require a system restart to install correctly.

Is It Safe to Delay Updates and Restarts?

It’s worth considering that updates requiring a system restart are often released to fix security breaches. Delaying them could mean compromising your computer, so it’s best to perform them as close to the time of release as possible.

How to Manage Updates by Adjusting the Active Hours

The easiest and most common way to avoid unexpected updates and restarts is by specifying the active hours during which you want to use your PC. Doing this will mean all updates take place during downtime, avoiding those interruptions to your workflow.

Step 1. Open “Settings” (you can press the Windows key + I).

Step 2. Go to “Update & Security.”

Step 3. Select “Windows Update” on the left.

Step 4. Click ”Change Active Hours.”

Step 5. Set the specified start and finish times when you usually use your PC.

Step 6. Click “Save.”

All updates will now happen outside your usage times.

How to Schedule the Restart Time of a Pending Update

If there is a pending update, you will see a section for it on the right side of the Windows Update pane. From here, you can manually schedule the restart time for when you know you won’t be using the computer.

Step 1. Click on “Schedule the Restart.”

Step 2. Toggle the “Schedule a Time” option to “On.”

Step 3. Choose a day and time for the restart.

How to Set All Restarts to Manual Using the Registry Editor (Advanced)

If you are confident with editing the registry, you can use this method. You should proceed with caution, however, as incorrect changes can cause system instability, errors, or crashes. This approach is only recommended if the previous two options are insufficient for your needs.

Step 1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.

Step 2. Navigate to the following:

HKEY\LOCAL \_SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU

Step 3. Right-click “AU” and select “NEW – DWORD (32-bit) Value.”

Step 4. Name the new value “NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers.”

Step 5. Double-click the new value and set “Value data” to 1.

Step 6. Click “OK” to close the Registry Editor. This new registry setting will tell Windows to not automatically restart whenever any user is logged into the system. You will still get a notification, but the restart will only happen when you manually initiate it.