Whether your organization runs Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or you pull automatic updates directly from Microsoft, many updates require a computer to reboot before taking full effect. Unfortunately, these reboots often occur at the most inopportune moments. Users can often postpone the reboot, but Windows will keep nagging them until they acquiesce or just take matters into its own hands and restart after four hours. This can be really annoying if you’re in the middle of downloading files when the reboot starts.

So, here’s the question: How do you prevent Windows from rebooting after an automatic update?

Please Read Before Answering

Before you jump into this post’s discussion thread and submit an answer that explains how to configure the Automatic Update client to download updates but let the user decided when to install them, or how to just disable automatic updates, stop. These are not the answers I’m looking for. To get full credit for this question, you must describe a solution that allows the update to download and install but not reboot until the user manually does so.

About the TR Dojo Challenge Series

Each Wednesday, I publish a new question designed to test the technical skills and IT prowess of our TechRepublic members. You can submit an answer to the question by posting it within this post’s discussion thread.

I’ll accept answer submissions for one week after I post the question. At the end of the week, I’ll consider the question closed and review the answers. The member who submitted the first, best answer will be featured in a follow-up TR Dojo Challenge article, posted on Thursday the week following the question’s publication. For being featured on the site, they will also earn themselves a bit of TechRepublic swag-a coffee mug and laptop sticker.

The rules:

  1. Only answers submitted within one week of the initial question’s publication date will be considered for the follow-up article and swag.
  2. All answers must be original and must consist of more than a link or links to third-party resources.
  3. I will choose the correct response from the answers submitted and my decision is final.

Good Luck!