You know that the updates that Windows automatically downloads are important. They frequently contain important anti-virus protections intended to keep cybercriminals out of your computer and software. Nevertheless it can be annoying when Windows automatically restarts your machine after every update. Luckily for us, the Lifehacker Web site recently covered how you can edit your computer’s registry to keep Windows from automatically restarting after an update.
No more automatic restarts
Stopping the automatic restarts is going to take a little bit of effort on your part. You’ll have to edit your computer’s registry, something not every user feels confident doing.
The process
Begin the process of disabling Windows’ automatic reboots by turning on your computer’s “Start†menu. Next, open your computer’s registry by typing “regedit.†Lifehacker now recommends that you start the registry editor. Then look for this specific line in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdateAU. Click on the “AU†key. This should make this key appear in the right pane. Once this happens right-click on the empty space and select New >DWORD (32-bit) Value. Now, name the new DWORD: “NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers”. To end the process, double-click on the new DWORD and give it a value of 1.
Protecting yourself
Now you’re done. When Windows downloads an update, it won’t automatically restart your computer. You’ll need to remember, though, to reboot your computer in the future. Or else, your new updates – and they could be important – won’t take effect.
