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I frequently have long running tasks that can take days or even weeks running on my Windows 11 pro PC. Because of this, it MUST NOT EVER restart without asking me first. My solution is to disable the windows update service, but I keep forgetting to reenable it and check for updates before starting another long running task. As such, I either never end up getting any updates, or I end up losing progress on a task that has been running for a week+.

I'm fine with getting automatic updates, but it just can't restart without asking me. I'm fine with it showing in the start menu that it needs to restart. All hours are active hours.

Saul
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Kaiden Prince
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4 Answers4

23

You can disable automatic restart after installing updates in the Group Policy Editor.

  1. Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
  2. Go to Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage end user experience.
  3. Double-click on “No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations”.
  4. Select Enabled, and then select OK.

Note: See comments, you also need to enable 'Configure Automatic Updates'

Asztrik X
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DKenn
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7
  1. Start Command prompt as an admin. Run Local Group Policy Editor.

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  1. Computer configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Update → Manage end user experience → Configure Automatic Updates

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  1. Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Update → Legacy Policies → No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations

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Community
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DrS
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4

Apparently, enabling the option "Notify me when a restart is required to finish updating" in Windows Update > Advanced options also implicitly prevents the restart from occurring automatically. I would not have assumed this just from reading the text of the setting and description!

Notify me when a restart is required to finish updating

Show notification when your device requires a restart to finish updating

See https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8013-enable-disable-windows-update-automatic-updates-windows-10-a-post2552210.html?s=486a5969f4cef87271ea9e932484eec2#post2552210

In Settings, Windows Update, Advanced there is a setting "Get me up to date" which when enabled searches frequently for updates, downloads them and restarts so you are always updated with minimum or no waiting when restarting/shutdown. But this can restart your computer at any time without a warning before you have time to save your work! If you usually leave your computer on to complete some tasks overnight a sudden restart will stop whatever the computer was doing. I leave it on for downloads or video rendering, so a sudden restart would interrupt this so I never enable this setting. On the contrary I enable the "Notify me when a restart is required to finish updating" to prevent it restarting automatically.

And for some preview of what will happen with this setting on, see https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/stop-automatically-updating-my-system/1e4ab66f-c610-49a3-a627-12d4e5c75210

First - make sure the notification is turned on for a restart in Settings -> Windows Update -> Advanced options turn on "Notify me when a restart is required to finish updating"

you will get a notification that a restart is required and that Windows will restart outside active hours.

if the device is not available outside active hours, you will get a notification like this [Image]

with the option to Restart now, pick a time or snooze the notification.

although it is unclear from that whether there are limits to how far out you can select a time or how long you are allowed to snooze. But it sounds like it will get you basically back to the status quo I remember from Win10.

Alice Adz
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0

I found this answer on microsoft blog. I followed Munkhbayar B answer Method 1: Using Services

1 Open Services:

    Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.

Type services.msc and press Enter.

2 Disable Windows Update Service:

    Scroll down to find Windows Update.

Right-click on it and select Properties.

In the General tab, set the Startup type to Disabled.

Click Stop if the service is running, then click Apply and OK.

3 Disable Windows Update Medic Service:

    In the Services window, find Windows Update Medic Service (WaaSMedicSVC).

Right-click on it and select Properties.

Set the Startup type to Disabled and click Stop if it is running.

But could not find Update Medic Service on my Windows 11, so can't be sure it will work and I have to wait until next updates come available to know.

I also disabled automatic restart following this youtube video but I think it is about critical crashes only.

I don't know Windows very well, I followed these because are straightforward and make sense and seem harmless anyway.

I don't understand why Microsoft doesn't allow to disable this ridiculous auto restart behaviour that makes people loose their work.

Marco Stamazza
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