How to stop Windows restarting automatically for updates
Windows installs updates in the background and then restarts the PC to finish them, sometimes while you're in the middle of something. You can't switch the restarts off for good, but you can tell Windows when you're using the PC, stop it restarting the moment an update is ready, and make it warn you first. This guide covers Windows 11.
What you'll need: A Windows 11 PC and an account that's allowed to change its settings. On a work laptop, some of these options may be locked by your IT department — see Troubleshooting.
Open Settings
Hold down the Windows key and press I. The Settings window opens.
If you'd rather use the mouse, right-click the Start button on the taskbar and click Settings.
Go to Windows Update
In the list down the left-hand side, click Windows Update. It's the last item.
Open Advanced options
Under the heading More options, click Advanced options.
Turn off "Get me up to date"
Find the switch labelled Get me up to date and make sure it's Off. When it's on, Windows restarts as soon as an update is ready, and it ignores the active hours you're about to set.
Turn on the restart warning
On the same page, switch Notify me when a restart is required to finish updating to On. Windows will then show a notification before it restarts, instead of doing it unannounced.
Open Active hours
Further down the page, click Active hours to expand it. Active hours are the part of the day when Windows won't restart the PC on its own.
Set the hours yourself
Next to Adjust active hours, change the dropdown from Automatically to Manually. A Start time and End time appear. Set them to cover the whole stretch of the day you might be using the PC — for example 07:00 to 23:00.
Check the settings have stuck
Click the back arrow at the top-left of the Settings window to return to the Windows Update page. If an update is already waiting for a restart, the page now offers a Schedule the restart button alongside Restart now, and it won't restart inside the hours you set.
Variations
When the Windows Update page says a restart is needed, click Schedule the restart. Switch Schedule a time to On, then choose a time and a day up to a week ahead. Windows restarts then, as long as the PC is switched on and plugged in at the time.
On the Windows Update page, find Pause updates and pick a length from the dropdown, from one week up to five. Nothing new downloads or installs until the pause ends, so nothing new needs a restart. An update that's already installed and waiting for a restart isn't affected.
The same controls exist, under different names. Go to Settings › Update & Security › Windows Update. Click Change active hours to set the hours. Click Advanced options to find Restart this device as soon as possible (turn it off) and Show a notification when your PC requires a restart (turn it on).
Troubleshooting
Check step 4 again: Get me up to date overrides active hours. If that's off, the update had probably been waiting for some time. Windows only postpones a pending restart for so long, and once it's overdue it will restart regardless. When you see the restart notification, use Schedule the restart to pick a time that suits you rather than dismissing it.
The PC is enrolled with a work or school account, and its update policy is set centrally. The settings on this page can't override it. Ask your IT department whether they can change the restart policy for you.
The gap between Start time and End time can't be more than 18 hours. If you want a long stretch protected, bring the start time later or the end time earlier until the range is allowed, and leave the hours you're least likely to be at the PC as the gap.
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