Disable Windows 10 automatic restart after updates

Anonymous
2019-02-14T12:17:31+00:00

Is there any REAL way to disable this cancer feature?

This is not the first time i have lost unsaved work due to this annoying function, that almost every Windows user hates.

I'm trying to behave, but it is really hard to keep calm after loosing unsaved work multiple times.

Why is it that Windows cannot just wait until the user decides to restart at a convenient time? It's not like the end of the world that users doesn't restart at a specific time.

In a time where Apple's Mac is already "stealing" a lot of Windows customers, it is a very risky (and dumb) feature to add to Windows.

This alone is very difficult to argue against in a Mac vs. Windows discussion.

Luckily (for Microsoft) Microsoft have secured themselves from a law suit in their policy.

MS knows that all Windows users hates this feature, and yet they still have it. WHY?

So back to the question. Is there any official/unofficial way (FOR GOOD)  that allows me to disable this annoying feature?

I tried following some tutorials on YouTube, but little did it help obviously, as i just came home and found my computer restarted, and my work deleted.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Settings

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

114 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Reported
    Anonymous
    2019-02-15T16:17:15+00:00

    Hello my name is Bradford and I'm an Independent Advisor for the Microsoft Community and I will try to resolve your problem.

    1. Click on the “Start” button and type

    gpedit.msc

    press Enter.

    1. In the Local Group Policy Editor, go to

    Computer Configuration ->

    ->Administrative Templates->

    -> Windows Components->

    -> Windows Update

    1. Double-click on “No auto-restart with automatic installations of scheduled updates”.
    2. Select "Enabled", and then click "OK".
    3. Close the local group policy editor.

    If the above steps don't have the effect you desired please let me know!

    Thanks.

    When i double click the "No auto-restart with automatic installations of scheduled updates" i get a popup in where i can enable the policy.

    Though after enabling it, i get asked to set active hours.. All my hours are active. I don't want any restarts in active or inactive hours.

    I just want Windows to stop restarting automatically no matter what time it is. I will restart myself when i need it.

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2019-02-16T00:10:46+00:00

    Hello,

    Try the process below:

    1. Press Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
    2. Type the following path and click "OK":

    %windir%\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator

    1. Select the

    Reboot ) (it does not have an extension)

    file right-click it and select "Rename".

    1. Rename the Reboot file to "Reboot.old".
    2. Right-click inside the folder, select "New," and click on "Folder".
    3. Name the New Folder "Reboot".
    4. Now restart your computer.

    This will disable Window's ability to restart automatically.

    If this solution has the desired effect let me know.

    Was this answer helpful?

    500+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2020-03-17T15:13:14+00:00

    Many hours of references, web pages, and works, are simply destroyed by this demonic cancer feature. You thought it's safe to take a short nap (say 1 hour?) outside "active hours"? Don't worry, Windows 10 is always here to mess your work up. I've tried all other methods (regedit, gpedit.msc, etc.) and none of them stop this from happening. 

    Buying a piece of software doesn't mean it can and it should take over control without my permission. How was this MASTERPIECE introduced to Windows? The one coming up with this idea should resign and never work in software industry again.

    Was this answer helpful?

    300+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2019-06-14T14:03:30+00:00

    The silence is deafening...  What do we "non-Pro" people do to stop this nightmare without the GPEDIT magic?

    But even that fix feels wrong.  I don't want to disable updates, or even the restarts.  I just want to be able to control when they happen.  Perhaps a warning that an update iss coming?  Something? Anything?

     I, too, have lost work through the magic restart of windows.

    Many. Times. One. Time. Is. Too. Many.

    My latest loss was just a couple of days ago.  But it's been even WORSE.  I have a laptop and I sometimes leave it all snuggled up in a nice Belkin bag.  Then....IT BOOTS UP!.... OVERHEATS!...  I'm surprised I haven't had a fire.  Hell, I'm surprised it still works.  One time I caught it running and I had to blow on my hand after removing the laptop; it was HOT.

    So for now I'm trying the active hours setting, lying by setting the active hours to when I'm sleeping, so I'll have a better chance of being there before the restart occurs.  I'm also trying Omoikane1122's reboot file change (though this seems a little "over the top" to me).

    How about a "Don't restart without my OK" checkbox?  Or a "Don't wake up to perform updates" checkbox?

    Was this answer helpful?

    100+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2019-09-02T23:16:11+00:00

    Any update on this - I'm so bl$%dy sick of coming back to my PC in the morning and it having restarted overnight without my permission? VERY SICK OF THIS

    Was this answer helpful?

    100+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments