Windows Update - Enable or Disable Automatic Restart

How to Enable or Disable Windows Updates from Automatically Restarting the Computer​

   Information

This will show you how to enable or disable Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 from automatically restarting the computer after 5 minutes of installing a Windows Update that requires a restart to finish installing.

   Warning

Even though if you disable automatic restart for Windows Update, you will still be required to restart the computer to finish installing the Windows Update. However, you will be able to do this when you are able to instead of it doing it automatically while you were working on something and losing it.

   Tip

After you install an important update in Windows 8 and 8.1, you receive a notice that you have to restart the PC in three days. If the restart does not occur in three days, the PC displays a 15-minute countdown and then automatically restarts. By default, this automatic restart is delayed if the PC is locked, and the countdown will begin the next time that you sign in to the PC.

A new feature is now available that lets you force automatic restarts to finish installing important updates, regardless of whether you are at the PC. You can change to this new restart behavior through the following new registry key value that was introduced in the April 2013 Windows 8 cumulative update (2822241).

See also: How to force automatic restarts after important updates in Windows 8

and

Minimizing restarts after automatic updating in Windows Update - Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

EXAMPLE: Windows Update Restart Prompt
NOTE: Enabled (left screenshot), disabled (right screenshot), Windows 8 on bottom

OPTION ONE

Using a REG File Download

1. To Enable Windows Update Automatic Restart
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.
Enable_Windows_Update_Auto_Restart.reg

Download


2. To Disable Windows Update Automatic Restart
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.
Disable_Windows_Update_Auto_Restart.reg

Download


3. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

4. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

5. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC-Windows 7/8) or Continue (UAC-Vista), Yes, and OK to approve the mege.

6. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

7. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

OPTION TWO

Through the Local Group Policy Editor

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane, click/tap on the arrow to expand Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, then click/tap on Windows Update. (see screenshot below)

3. In the right pane of Windows Update, double click/tap on No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. To Enable Windows Update Automatic Restart
A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Disabled, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below step 6)
NOTE: Not Configured is the default setting.
5. To Disable Windows Update Automatic Restart
A) Select (dot) Enabled, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below step 6)
6. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

7. Close the Local Group Policy Editor.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Check for and Install Windows Updates in Windows 8
• How to Create a "Windows Update" Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Change the Windows Update Settings in Windows 7
• How to Turn Automatic Updating On or Off in Windows 8
• How to View Windows Update History Details in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Uninstall a Windows Update in Windows 7
• How to Hide or Restore Hidden Windows Updates in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Create a "Installed Windows Updates" Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Create a "Windows Update Troubleshoot" Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Access to Windows Updates in Windows 7
• How to Reset Windows Update in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable the Windows Update "Who can install updates" Setting
• How to Download the Standalone MSU Installer File of a Windows Update
• How to Enable or Disable "Install Updates and Shut Down" Option in Windows 7
• How to Change "Install Updates and Shut Down" as Default Choice in Shut Down Windows Dialog

 

[stealthyoshi]

this method no longer works

Help! This fix stopped working a few months ago on all my PCs and all my clients PCs. Has Microsoft done something to override it? Anyone else notice the same thing on their PCs?

I'm hoping for some talented individual to come up with another method of simply nagging the user to "re-start to finish installing updates", rather than forcing the reboot on them overnight causing them to lose data and work.

One could always set Windows updates to "Download but let me choose whether to install", but can we count on our clients actually DOING that ant not letting their PCs get horribly out-of-date?

What do you guys think?

 

[Brink]

Hello stealthyoshi, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Did you set the policy again in case it may have just been some update that reset it to default?

 

[stealthyoshi]

Thanks for the quick reply, Brink

I have re-applied the registry file a couple months ago on all machines, in response to this new behavior, and it continues to do it on all of them. More recently, I checked the keys that the registry file creates, using Registry Editor, to make sure they were still as they should be from the registry file. They were set properly, NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers was 1, and AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime was 0. It seems the registry entry is being ignored?

When I merge the registry file with a client's PC, I do it after all available important and recommended updates have installed, and the machine is current. Their machines still ignore it. This is on all my client's machines that leave my bench with a fresh install of Win7 Home x64 SP1 OEM installed from OEM discs (or my unaltered* USB ISO of said disc. *Only alteration is deleting ei.cfg*).

 

[Brink]

I'm not certain why it's not working anymore for you yet. For now, you might also check to see if you have any other group policy enabled that could be overriding this one.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...or-quickly-view-enabled-policies-windows.html

 

[stealthyoshi]

Thanks for taking time to work with me, Brink.

To help process of elimination, all my PCs as well as 99% of my client's PCs all run Home Premium, so we don't have access to the Group Policy Editor or any of its functions. On the one or two PCs I've set-up with pro, (have done none with ultimate or enterprise) I have not touched the Group Policy Editor at all.

I don't do any hacks or tweaks to my installations, software/drivers are all different for me and each client. Due to this, I find it hard to believe that it is affecting only me and the PCs I touch. On the other hand, I have not found anyone else posting about this either. Maybe no other users have noticed it yet?

I've been trying to figure this out on my own for months before tuning to this forum for help. I'm so dumbfounded, next time someone tells me 1+1=3, I'm just going to accept it. Hopefully nobody writes instructions on a grenade that read: "Pull Pin, Receive Bacon".