How to Dis­able Auto­mat­ic Reboot in Win­dows 10

Few things are more frustrating than leaving your PC for a minute and coming back to find it rebooted mid-task. Windows 10 has a habit of automatically restarting after updates — often at the worst possible time. If you’re tired of losing progress or patience, here’s how to stop it.

Why Windows 10 Reboots Automatically

Windows 10 automatically restarts your computer after installing updates. While this is meant to keep your system secure and up-to-date, it can disrupt your work or gaming. The good news? You can take control and turn off this “feature.”

Method 1: Use Group Policy Editor (Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, Education)

Note: This method isn’t available on Windows 10 Home.

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter.
2. Go to:
   Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Update → Windows Update for Business.
3. Double-click “No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations”.
4. Select Enabled, then click Apply and OK.

That’s it — Windows will no longer force a reboot while you’re logged in.

Method 2: Use the Registry Editor (All Versions)

Warning: Editing the registry can cause problems if done incorrectly. Follow these steps exactly.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU If the WindowsUpdate or AU keys don’t exist, right-click and create them.
3. Right-click the right pane, select New → DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it: NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers
5. Double-click it and set the Value data to 1.
6. Click OK, then restart your PC.

This tells Windows not to auto-reboot if someone is signed in.

Method 3: Use Active Hours

If you just want to delay reboots instead of disabling them, set your Active Hours:

1. Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update.
2. Click Change active hours.
3. Set your working hours — Windows won’t reboot during this time.

Bonus Tip: Disable Windows Update Service (Not Recommended Long-Term)

If you’re desperate, you can stop the Windows Update service entirely. Just be aware this prevents all updates — including important security patches.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find Windows Update, right-click it, and choose Properties.
3. Under Startup type, select Disabled.
4. Click Stop, then Apply.

This gives you total control — but use it cautiously.

Final Thoughts

Automatic updates are important. But forced reboots? Not so much. With the steps above, you can keep your system secure and keep control of your uptime. Choose the method that fits your setup best and work without surprise shutdowns.