Windows 7 disregarded settings and restarted itself after updates

[deezydoesit]

Did anyone experience this issue the other day? I specifically have my update settings set to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them" because I hate it when Windows restarts itself. That is the setting on both my laptop and work desktop (both Windows 7 x64). When I woke up in the morning my laptop had installed updates and restarted itself. When I checked the settings, it was set to "Install updates automatically" !!! When I got to work, same thing: installed and rebooted, and the settings were changed. My co-worker told me this morning that when he got home yesterday he found that his computer has also download updates, installed them, and rebooted even though he also has it set to only notify him of updates.

Has anyone else experienced this where Windows decided to change your Update settings without asking you? I didn't lose any important work, but I had a bunch of programs and windows open and some stuff that would have been nice to save, and totally did not expect my computer to modify its settings so it could install updates and restart itself.

 

[Brink]

Hello Deezy, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Not sure why unless some other update may have reset you Windows Update settings back to default.

This will show you how to disable the automatic reboot after installing Windows Updates to help with this though.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/6042-windows-update-enable-disable-automatic-restart.html

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

 

[PhaseShift]

I also had this same problem within the past week or so on two of my windows 7 machines (both 64-bit). I also noticed that the "Give me recommended updates the same way I receive Windows updates" box was checked, when I specifically unchecked it. I wonder if it could be related to the installation of service pack 1 for Windows 7?

It's pretty annoying for two reasons: Number one, because I don't like things being done on my computer without my consent (especially when I've told windows not to do them, and ESPECIALLY when those things happen behind my back); and number 2, I'm currently in a rural area using one of those AT&T mobile internet devices that uses 3G. It has a data limit, and I have to use the bandwidth for work/school, and I'm not particularly fond of the bandwidth going to updates without my knowledge.

EDIT: After some further Googling, it seems that Microsoft has done this in the past, too:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/windows-update-automatically-changing-user-settings-again/830

EDIT #2: It wasn't service pack 1, because after automatically installing updates and restarting, the next thing that popped up was a notification saying SP1 was ready to download (after I return the settings to "ask me but let me choose when to download", of course).