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Keep Windows Update Restarts Outside Active Hours

An update can leave Windows waiting to restart while you still need the computer. Set active hours to cover the time you normally work so Windows can defer update-related automatic restarts until outside that period. Use Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours to set that schedule.

This policy sets a fixed schedule for the device; it does not prevent every restart or complete updates without a restart. If you prefer Windows to adjust the hours to your usage, consider leaving the policy unconfigured and using the active hours setting in Windows Update instead.

Steps

  1. Press Win + R, enter gpedit.msc, and open Local Group Policy Editor.
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration › Administrative Templates › Windows Components › Windows Update › Manage end user experience and open Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours.
  3. Select Enabled. Set the active-hours start and end to the hours when the computer is normally in use; for example, 9:00 to 18:00.
  4. Select Apply and OK. Save your work and restart at a convenient time to finish pending updates.

The default maximum active-hours range is 18 hours; a separate policy can change that maximum. Windows attempts an update restart outside the specified hours. Deferring restart for too long can leave updates incomplete.

When the schedule does not apply

The policy has no effect when either “No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations” or “Always automatically restart at the scheduled time” is enabled. Other organizational update and deadline policies can also affect restart behavior. Check with your administrator before changing a managed device. This policy does not prevent restarts for unrelated reasons.

Registry alternative

Microsoft recommends using Group Policy or device management instead of editing the registry directly, since settings can conflict. The policy uses these values at the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
SetActiveHours    REG_DWORD    1
ActiveHoursStart  REG_DWORD    9
ActiveHoursEnd    REG_DWORD    18

The example uses decimal values for 09:00–18:00; start and end accept whole hours from 0 to 23. Before changing anything, export the WindowsUpdate key and record whether each value exists and its previous data. Open Registry Editor with regedit, navigate to the key, and create or edit the three DWORD (32-bit) values using Decimal input. Verify the values after entering them. See the registry value page for the policy mapping.

To undo a direct registry edit, restore each recorded previous value; delete a value you created only if it was absent beforehand. On managed devices, a policy can reapply the settings. To undo a Group Policy change, restore its prior state, or select Not Configured if it was previously unconfigured. When no other restart policies apply, the user's active-hours setting is used.

Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours

This guide uses the Windows 11 version 26H2 policy templates.

References