Windows 8: Disable Auto-Restart after Updates feature

Windows 8: Disable Auto-Restart after Updates feature

UPDATE: If you need to do this for Windows 10, read here.

Windows updates are generally a good thing, except when they force the shutdown process giving you no chances to do anything about it except save your work. We're talking about the dreadful "Restarting in XX minutes, YY seconds" countdown message, which happens to be one of the most annoying features of the new operating system, even among those - including me - who actually like it.

Luckily enough, there are some ways to prevent this feature from happening, depending on which version of Windows you’re using, or just to shutdown the countdown.

Method 1. Local Group Policy

If you have Windows 8 professional, keep reading: this is hands-down the easier and most proper way to deal with that issue. If you don't, you won't have access to the Local Group Policy Editor so you'll be forced to skip this one and jump to the next.

Press Win + R to open the run dialog, then type gpedit.msc and press the Enter key.

windows.8.alt.r.gpedit

Navigate through the editor tree until you reach Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update. Look on the right panel and search for the option named No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations.

windows.8.gpedit.no.auto-restart

Double-click on it, then change the radio button in the popup window that will appear from not configured to enabled and click OK.

To make the system immediately apply the changes you just made, press WIN + R again and issue the gpupdate /force command...

windows.8.gpupdate-force

... And you're done.

Method 2. Registry Editor

If your version of Windows 8 doesn’t allow you to use the Local Group Policy Editor you can achieve the same result using the Registry Editor. Press WIN + R to open up the run dialog, type regedit and press Enter.

windows.8.regedit

When the Registry Editor opens, navigate to  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU : if you don't have the  WindowsUpdate and/or the AU keys you will need to create them. Inside the AU key, create a new 32-bit DWORD called NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers, then double-click on it and set its hex value of 1.

There isn't an option to apply the settings live, so you'll have to reboot your PC... and then you're done.

Method 3. Stop the Countdown

If you ain't interested in disabling the auto-restart feature as a whole and you just want to prevent the PC to shutdown for your current session, you can do that using either PowerShell or Command-Line:

PowerShell

Launch PowerShell and type the following command:

Command-Line

Open up a command prompt (as an Administrator, i.e. with administrative rights) and type the following command:

or, in case this isn't working:

And you'll be set.

 

 

About Ryan

IT Project Manager, Web Interface Architect and Lead Developer for many high-traffic web sites & services hosted in Italy and Europe. Since 2010 it's also a lead designer for many App and games for Android, iOS and Windows Phone mobile devices for a number of italian companies. Microsoft MVP for Development Technologies since 2018.

View all posts by Ryan

2 Comments on “Windows 8: Disable Auto-Restart after Updates feature”

  1. Pingback: Windows 10 - Disable automatic shutdown after Windows Update
  2. Here we are in January 2022 and this old post just saved me a week (near complete 10-day process threatened of interruption by forced reboot). Thank you

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