81

This questions has been answered previously, e.g. here, but all the answers I've seen require using a dropdown in Settings> Update & Security> Advanced Options.

On my version of Windows 10 Pro, there is no such dropdown:

Windows update advanced options

How can I prevent automatic restarts?

9
  • 1
    Windows 10 version 1607 (OS build 14393.10)
    – Laurent
    Aug 6, 2016 at 0:48
  • 23
    Yes but the problem with setting the "active" hours is that if I forget to close Excel and leave it open overnight, Windows might reboot during the night, causing me to lose unsaved data. Also, the maximum active timespan is 12 hours, which assumes everybody sleeps at least 12 hours a day...
    – Laurent
    Aug 8, 2016 at 23:06
  • 2
    @Laurent, when the Creators Update is released next month, one of the changes will increase the maximum Active Hours setting you can configure to 18 hours. Hopefully, you are typically getting at least six hours of sleep!
    – Run5k
    Mar 8, 2017 at 21:12
  • 2
    This is just one of the many things that Windows does that slows us down and gets in the way of our work. Although we still use Windows a little here in our business (mostly in WINE or VirtualBox), we've switched to Linux (RHEL, LM MATE 18.1, and Xubuntu 16.04). Linux updates don't slow us down, and there's seldom a need to reboot. Mar 8, 2017 at 21:59
  • 3
    Possible duplicate of How to stop Windows 10 from automatic restarts
    – Tomas
    Jul 23, 2018 at 13:17

8 Answers 8

90

Setting the "No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations" GPO didn't work for me. I woke up this morning and my machine had been rebooted. (I was using the computer last night and didn't even get a warning.)

This suggestion from techjourney.net looks more promising.

  • Open Task Scheduler and navigate to Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > UpdateOrchestrator
  • Right click the Reboot task and Disable it.

Windows will attempt to re-enable the task automatically, so you also need to modify permissions on the task file.

  • Go to C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator
  • Open the properties of the Reboot file, open the Security tab and open Advanced Permissions.
  • Take ownership of the file by clicking the "Change" link next to the owner and typing in your name. Disable inheritance via the button at the bottom.

  • Change all permissions to read or read & execute only.

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  • 3
    You should also set the group policy "Enabling Windows UPM to automatically wake up the system to install scheduled updates" to DISABLED. If you don't, Windows will sometimes start your computer when it's off (hibernating), install updates, and turn off again, causing you to lose your hibernation state. This causes you to lose all of your open windows, which is a huge pain.
    – Steve
    Oct 18, 2016 at 22:12
  • 1
    Beware that the task must be disabled first, then the file permissions set. If you do the file permissions first, the task may give an error when trying to set the state to disabled. Nov 15, 2016 at 2:58
  • 8
    As far as I can tell, this no longer works. Windows now ignores the permissions on the file and switches "reboot" back to enabled. I do not think there is currently a way to stop Windows from restarting itself, which is absolutely ridiculous.
    – dallin
    Nov 17, 2016 at 1:56
  • 1
    I also had to do this process for the "C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\Windows\rempl" folder for the auto-restarts to be blocked (disabling the tasks in task-scheduler, then removing all write permissions). At least, I think they are now since it's past the scheduled time now and hasn't restarted. We'll see if MS creates yet another task trying to get past our blocks... -_-
    – Venryx
    Apr 20, 2018 at 10:06
  • 3
    Not working, no permission to disable the reboot task, even for admin! I get this message: "The user account you are operating under does not have permission to disable this task"
    – Tomas
    Jul 23, 2018 at 13:35
12

All the suggested hacks workarounds seems not to work with the anniversary update. But there is still an option: You can periodically update the "active hours" in the settings. However, this is no fun to do manually, but there is a small windows service that can do it for you: https://www.udse.de/en/windows-10-reboot-blocker

4
  • The accepted answer seems to still work for me... As the updates don't install automatically, it doesn't reboot. However if I do click to install the updates, it will reboot later without asking, so I make sure to reboot right after manually installing the updates.
    – Laurent
    Dec 4, 2016 at 6:11
  • 4
    This is ridiculous! I can't believe we need to install this to "fix" something that shouldn't have been "broken" in the first place! So much for being a "pro" version....
    – tftd
    Dec 26, 2016 at 21:25
  • 2
    For those who prefer to review the code before running it, there's also a PowerShell version by someone else on Github. Dec 21, 2018 at 8:31
  • This is the only solution that has ever worked for me on WIndows 10 Home. I've tried all of the other solutions in this answer, without exception, this was the only one working. Highly recommend!
    – Irfy
    Feb 5 at 0:46
10

Edit:

Microsoft are going to release a way to snooze updates. The Verge - Microsoft is making it easy to stop Windows 10 rebooting your PC randomly for updates

I'm not sure if the settings app allows you to do this anymore. I have had a look but I cannot find anything. This solution below will work regardless if you have Windows 10 Pro.

In the run dialog box (winkey + R) type "gpedit.msc" (without quotations), hit enter Navigate to Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Update Double click on "No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations" Enable it and click apply

Ref: Windows 10: Disable automatic reboot for updates

Gpedit

8
  • 8
    gpedit is only for Pro and higher versions, Home or lower does not have gpedit
    – Moab
    Aug 5, 2016 at 18:22
  • 2
    I have Pro so I was able to do this. But it was already enabled (I enabled it a long time ago when I was still on Windows 8). Last night it rebooted again even with this setting enabled.
    – Laurent
    Aug 6, 2016 at 0:49
  • 23
    This doesn't work. I have this enabled, but it still reboots. The most annoying thing is that it reboots during the week, during office hours, while many apps are open, and just forcefully closes them and I lose my work. Every single time. I've been using Windows since 3.1 and didn't mind any of their dubious UI decisions, including the 8 Modern UI. But just let me do my damn job without interruptions. Ironically, they name it Windows 10 "Pro".
    – vgru
    Sep 28, 2016 at 12:48
  • 1
    Does not work. (Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.187)
    – user643011
    Oct 3, 2016 at 2:28
  • 2
    Did anyone read that option's last paragraph "this does not work if the policy Configure Automatic Updates is not active"? I guess (but could not yet verify) this only works if one also activates said policy as well. Jan 4, 2017 at 20:26
5

The two other solutions don't seem to be working for me as those registry settings were already set on my computer.

Here is an indirect solution, which is to tell Windows Update not to install updates automatically, just download them, and then prompt for installation. The user can then choose when to install them, and restart then.

Go to the following Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update
Set the AUOptions value to one of the following values:

1 = Never check for updates
2 = Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them
3 = Download updates but let me choose whether to install them
4 = Install updates automatically

I set it to 3.

Source: Microsoft Technet Forums: How to stop Windows 10 from automatically restarting, answer by MaxBak83

5
  • yes, I use this tool to manually search for Updates: superuser.com/a/948069/174557 Aug 8, 2016 at 14:46
  • 4
    Nope, this doesn't work either. My Windows 10 Pro (with this setting set to 2, (after I deleted the Windows/SoftwareDistribution folder, actually downloaded updates, installed them, and then rebooted, in the middle of my office hours, on Wednesday, 13PM, with several apps open, including an unsaved Word document. Then it proceeded installing the "Aniversary edition" for the next 30 minutes, failed, and then restored my previous version automatically. Cool, now I can wait for the next attempt. Must remember to save anytime I go get grab a cup of coffee.
    – vgru
    Sep 28, 2016 at 13:08
  • 1
    It did work for me; now I receive a message saying Restart required and then a more ominous We will restart your device outside office hours. But it doesn't restart by itself. There is a button to Restart now.
    – jmgonet
    Oct 1, 2016 at 5:28
  • 1
    Does not work. (Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.187)
    – user643011
    Oct 3, 2016 at 2:28
  • isn't it HKLM\SOFTWARE\ Policies \Microsoft\...? Also, this seems to confirm my comment that you have to activate both policies "Configure Automatic Updates" and "No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations" Jan 4, 2017 at 20:29
1

Winaero.com has provided a way to do it:

  • Open Registry Editor.
  • Go to the following Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
  • Create a new DWORD value here named NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers and set it to 1 and reboot the device.

enter image description here

5
  • 1
    I just went there in regedit and on my PC that key was already set to 1.
    – Laurent
    Aug 8, 2016 at 14:07
  • My computer doesn't have WindowsUpdate
    – Richard
    Aug 23, 2016 at 16:39
  • @Richard create a key with that name if you can't find it Aug 24, 2016 at 4:39
  • 4
    Does not work. (Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.187)
    – user643011
    Oct 3, 2016 at 2:28
  • Continuing in the trend of tech blogs not doing proper research and not cross-checking their answers thoroughly enough, the guide doesn't list bitness information properly. The key you posted is only applicable to 32-bit machines. I've added the information for 64-bit machines as well.
    – seagull
    Oct 7, 2016 at 18:13
1

Here's a .zip containing a .reg file which SHOULD work even in Windows 10 (though I won't know for sure until the next time M$ pushes a Win10 update which requires rebooting):

http://www.geeksalive.com/NoAutoReboot_Win10.zip

Here's the contents of the NoAutoReboot.reg file, but be sure to read the 00ReadMe.txt, too.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update]
"NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]
"NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers"=dword:00000001
"NoAutoUpdate"=dword:00000000
"AUOptions"=dword:00000004
"AutomaticMaintenanceEnabled"=dword:00000001
"ScheduledInstallDay"=dword:00000000
"ScheduledInstallTime"=dword:00000003
"AllowMUUpdateService"=dword:00000001

Note that for this to be effective you'll need to either restart the Windows Update Service, or just reboot the computer, after installing the registry update.

0

For computers with Group Policy, applying the policy User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Remove access to use all Windows Update features with the option Do not show any notifications will completely prevent forced reboots. Windows update on Windows 10 will still remain fully functional.

The registry entries for this policy is HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\WindowsUpdate Create the keys: DisableWindowsUpdateAccess with value 1 DisableWindowsUpdateAccessMode with value 0

This will prevent the task scheduler task in the JaredE's answer from forcing a reboot as well. Even manually running this task will not cause a reboot.

-1

Possible answer, still testing but seems to be working until MS changes these settings in the Task Scheduler.

On another post, "How to disable automatic reboots in Windows 10?", jakethedog references using the Task Scheduler. I expanded on the settings per items in the UpdateOchestrator.

Goto Start and enter Task Scheduler. Goto Task Scheduler Library >> Microsoft >> Windows >> UpdateOrchestrator.

Here you will find items that can be adjusted to cause Updates to behave differently. You can change different properties in each item by right clicking and selecting Properties.

You should see six tabs. Most have parameters that can be set, disabled, or deleted. Use the History tab on each item to see when and what these are processing. Then per tab make the desired changes.

So far, I've only Disabled and not Deleted any parameters. MS may re-add a deleted parameter when the update scans run, whether manually or automatically and replace missing items.

On each item I've adjusted, I've changed the following tabs.

General Tab >> Security options. Changed the user account controlling the item from System to my account. This should help the system account stop overriding changes.

Triggers >> Edit >> Advanced settings. Begin the task: On a schedule. Set Delay task for up to (random delay): to 1 day. Set Stop task if it runs longer than: 30 Minutes. Set Expire: the day you make a change to the item, 15 minutes later than when the change is made and to Sync across time zones. Unchecked Enable.

Actions >> Edit. Rename the Program/script entry. Here, I just changed MusNotification.exe to MNcation.exe and removed the Add arguments option of Reboot. This may be adding to the Event Viewer, I've not checked to see.

Conditions >> Power. Uncheck both entries.

Settings. Set to the following.

enter image description here

Then select OK to close the Properties window and then Right click and Disable the item per item you adjust. Then reboot.

1
  • 1
    You should edit this answer after you have verified it is an actual answer. Review. Why are you submitting identical answers to questions instead of flagging one of the questions as a duplicate?
    – Ramhound
    Dec 15, 2016 at 19:53

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