Disable Auto-Restart Prompt after Windows Update (in Windows Vista/7)
I've mastered how to disable/delay the Automatic Restart prompt after Windows Update deems it necessary to restart my computer in XP.
But, now I'm using both Windows 7 and Vista and that method no longer works. So far, I have not been able to circumvent the Restart Reminder popup that keeps telling me Restart or Postpone decision for 10 min/1 hour/4 hours (and then popping up again after that delay). Does anyone know how to delay that popup for something like a day (24 hours) or disable it completely?
Maybe this is the solution
http://techie-buzz.com/microblog/postpone-restart-after-windows-update.html
Download page here http://apps.nozavi.com/downloads/viewcategory/5
Some more solutions in this thread Disable restart after update prompt for server 2008 R2
An easier way than messing around with the registry, or having to run a command after every update:
Open the Local Group Policy Editor:
Start / Run / gpedit.msc
Find the Windows Update settings:
Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / Windows Components / Windows Update
Edit these 2 settings:
No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations: Enabled
Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations: Enabled, wait period (minutes): 1440
Now you will not be prompted to restart for 24 hours.
You can manually edit the registry using regedit. The best explanation I've found is from the How To Geek here: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/prevent-windows-update-from-forcibly-rebooting-your-computer/ The link contains automatic ways I'm posting the manual method here:
Open up regedit.exe through the start menu search box or run dialog, and navigate down to the following key, creating new keys if they don’t exist.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
Create a new 32-bit DWORD value named NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers and give it a value of 1 to prevent automatic reboot while users are logged on. Delete the value to put things back to the way they were.