How to stop Windows 10 from performing automatic restarts after installing updates

Windows 10 is an advanced OS that includes an extensive list of great features, but its tendency to reboot automatically to apply new updates is not one of them.

Although updates are necessary to ensure your device are in line with the latest improvements and security patches, if you don’t restart soon enough, Windows 10 will eventually reboot automatically to finish applying updates. It simply isn’t a good user experience.

In an attempt to mitigate this issue, in the Anniversary Update, Windows 10 introduced Active Hours to prevent installing updates while you’re actively working on your computer. However, this won’t stop Windows 10 from restarting during off hours, which can be a problem if you typically leave your computer in the middle of a task for an extended period.

Fortunately, there is a workaround that can be traced to Winaero, which allows you to take full control and prevent Windows 10 to reboot on its own everytime a new update installs.

In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to prevent Windows 10 from rebooting after downloading and installing an update.

How to stop your PC from automatically restarting after installing updates

Important: Before proceeding note that this is a workaround not supported by Microsoft, and it can stop working at any time. You should use it at your own risk.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Task Scheduler and click the result to open the tool.

Right-click the Reboot task and select Disable.

Once you completed the steps, your device will no longer restart after downloading and installing new updates. However, new updates won’t apply, and future updates won’t install until you manually reboot your computer.

Additional steps (if needed)

In the case, Windows 10 automatically re-enables the Reboot task; you can stop this behavior by doing the following:

Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.

Type the following path and click OK:

Select the Reboot file without an extension, right-click it, and select Rename.

Right-click inside the folder, select New, and click on Folder.

After you’ve completed the steps, Windows 10 will no longer be able to re-create the task to reboot your computer automatically.

If you want to revert the changes, go back to the UpdateOrchestrator folder and delete the Reboot folder and rename the Reboot.old file back to Reboot.

Then follow the Task Scheduler steps mentioned above but on Step 3 select Enable.

Note: We’re not saying that you should skip installing updates, as they’re important to keep your device secure and up to date. However, there are scenarios where you make want to take full control and decide exactly when to restart your computer to apply new updates, and this is when knowing how to stop automatic reboots comes in handy.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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Windows 10 not installing updates after restart

I’ve searched everywhere, but can’t seem to find a person with this problem.

My computer is forcing me to schedule a restart to install an update every time I turn it on. It sets the restart to about 15 minutes after I power on, and there is no way for me to change it (the change schedule part is greyed out). While I have no problem with this, whenever I do restart my computer, Windows 10 installs no updates at all. It literally just restarts, and immediately asks me to schedule another restart in 15 minutes. So basically I get to use my computer for 15 minutes, and Windows forces me to restart for no reason. I’ve tried everything, including the «restart and install updates» options, but no update is installed at all each time.

What can I do about this?

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I appreciate you for trying some steps in order to get the issue fixed.

Windows 10 has a built-in troubleshooter to check and fix issues with Update. I would suggest you to run this troubleshooter to check if the issue is with your Windows update.

Refer these steps:

1. Press Windows key + X, select Control panel.

2. Change the view by option on the top right to Large icons.

3. Click on Troubleshooting and click on the view all option on the left panel.

4. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter.

5. Restart the system and check if the issue is resolved.

Please revert if you face any issues with Installing Windows updates.

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The troubleshooter does not find any issues.

I have exactly the same problem.

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Sorry to hear that you are still facing the issue.

I would suggest you to try the methods below and check if it helps.

Method 1: Clean Boot

Place the computer in clean boot state and try to check for updates. Placing your system in Clean Boot state helps in identifying if any third party applications or startup items are causing the issue. You need to follow the steps from the article mentioned below to perform a Clean Boot.

Once you computer restarts in clean boot state, follow the steps below to check for updates:

1. Press Windows key + I to open settings.

2. Click Update and Security > Windows update > Check for updates.

Disclaimer: Once you are done with the troubleshooting, perform the steps in «How to reset the computer to start as usual after troubleshooting with clean boot» to reset computer as usual.

Method 2: Reset Windows update components

Manually reset the Windows Updates Components and then reinitiate the Windows Update process.

Resetting Windows Update Components will fix corrupt Windows Update Components and help you to install the Windows Updates quickly.

Please follow the below steps to reset the Windows Updates Components:

1. Press Windows Key + X on the keyboard and then select “ Command Prompt (Admin)” from the menu.

2. Stop the BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer and the Windows Update Services . To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press the “ENTER” key after you type each command.

net stop wuauserv

net stop cryptSvc

net stop bits

net stop msiserver

3. Now rename the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folder. You can do this by typing the following commands in the Command Prompt. Press the “ENTER” key after you type each command.

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old

4. Now, restart the BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer and the Windows Update Services . Type the following commands in the Command Prompt for this. Press the ENTER key after you type each command.

net start wuauserv

net start cryptSvc

net start bits

net start msiserver

5. Type Exit in the Command Prompt to close it and then restart the computer.

6.After restarting the computer, now retry to install Windows Updates.

Registry disclaimer:

Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows.

Let us know the result. We will be glad to help if you need further assistance.

How to:Reset Windows update components in Windows

Technical Level: Intermediate

Windows update is an Important component of Windows. By Windows updates one can get

• new drivers for the hardware devices installed in the computer
• security patches
• Known bugs fixed
• Major updates and upgrades.

But some issues, generally related directly or indirectly to some corruption in system files, windows update may not work properly. This article discusses resetting the Windows update completely using a reset script.

• Removes the older Windows update Folders, where the updates are downloaded. Newer ones are created automatically.
• Re-registers the Windows update Files.
• Resets your network connection.

Instructions for usage:

1. Download the Script into your computer.
2. At the location where it is saved, Right click and select Extract.

1. After the extract is complete, you will see a WuReset.bat named File in the new windows that opens.
2. Rightclick WuReset.bat named file and select Run as administrator.

1. Wait for the “Task completed successfully” message in the command Prompt Window.
2. Restart your computer and check for the updates again.

For users running Windows 7,8.0 or 8.1:

In any case, if you cannot download/run the script, copy the following code in notepad and save it by «WUReset.bat» (with quotes) and then run it subsequently:

Is this Script Safe?

Yes, the script is absolutely safe to use. The code is created with the help of Shawn Brink, who is an MVP of Microsoft. You can look into the source by right-clicking the bat file and selecting edit.

Special thanks to Askvg and Tenforums and Denis for the help

Also Read:

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I have tested an amended form of the batch file. It now does what I expected it to do. I suggest amending the batch file to include the additional line

I cannot know how many users have this alternative qmgr location. All I know is that both mine do & neither of them has the qmgr location given in the original batch file. I clean installed Windows 10 on both computers during August.

At the risk of boring you:-

So, the amended batch file successfully reset Windows update, including the update queue, whereas the original batch file did not.

The subject is of particular significance to me because I use a metered internet connection and I sometimes run Windows update to see if there is anything large enough to warrant going to the free & fast WiFi in my local library. I need to reset the update queue so that I can run Windows update from a clean start — otherwise it would continue with the existing list of updates and only afterwards would it bother to search for new ones [new ones that might supercede those that I have just wasted my time downloading & installing].