Quick Tip: Easily Shutdown or Restart WITHOUT Installing Updates.

[newtekie1]

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has been in the situation of needing to shutdown a computer quickly, but there are updates waiting to install. Previous to Windows 8 you could at least restart without being forced to install the updates, and if you are quick you could hit the power button when the computer begins to POST and the computer will turn off. With Windows 8, now even restarting forces you to install the updates. You could use the cmd and Shutdown.exe to shutdown the machine, but I'm getting old and try to avoid the command prompt as much as possible.

Anyway, the easy way I've found to Shutdown or Restart without being forced to install the updates is to hit Ctrl+Alt+Del and use the power button in the bottom right on the screen that comes up. For whatever reason, this power button is the only one I've found in Windows 7/8 that gives the option to Shutdown or Restart without installing the updates.

Thought I'd share.

 

[Mindweaver]

Also, you could create a shortcut on your desktop called "Restart" using what I've put in the code block below.

Restart

%windir%\System32\Shutdown.exe -f -r -t 00

Shutdown

%windir%\System32\Shutdown.exe -f -t 00

By using "-t 00" it restarts instantly with out waiting 30 seconds.

-f = force
-r = restart
-t = time

 

[Solaris17]

Thanks also you can do winkey+R shutdown -s -t 00 (also using the R flag doing this command wil reboot without updates)

didnt know about the taskmanager buttons though good find.

 

[newtekie1]

You don't need the %windir%\system32\ part, you can just do shutdown /f or whatever. Any exe file in the system32 folder can be called without needing the full path thanks to the Path parameter in Windows that defines certain paths to search when you just type a command.

But the only reason I don't really use shortcuts is I don't like clutter on my desktop.

 

[Jetster]

Helpful thanks

 

[t_ski]

Also, you could create a shortcut on your desktop called "Restart" using what I've put in the code block below.

Restart

%windir%\System32\Shutdown.exe -f -r -t 00

Shutdown

%windir%\System32\Shutdown.exe -f -t 00

By using "-t 00" it restarts instantly with out waiting 30 seconds.

-f = force
-r = restart
-t = time

While this works, the "force" switch is automatically applied when you have to have a time greater than 0. Make your time "1" instead of typing the extra keys. I like to be efficient.

 

[Mindweaver]

Nice! So, now our most efficient why would be.

shutdown -r -t 1

Now everyone that uses it Knows how and why it works. Well one more thing %windir% just takes you to the "Windows" directory. That's just for people that doesn't know.

 

[Mumpmeister]

For some reason OP's idea didn't work for me. Yes, the 3-finger salute brought up that cool page I'd never seen before, with a nice little power button in the lower right. But when I hit that button, my choices were 3:
- Sleep
- Update and shut down
- Update and restart
My reason for avoiding the update is not for speed or convenience, but because ever since March 4, whenever Microsoft updates me, I lose my internet. Sometimes the restore back to a few days earlier works, sometimes it doesn't.

Also, the various run commands above didn't work either: the command box would just flash off and no shutdown transpired.

I think the time and resources Microsoft expended in defeating those 2 features could have been better spent in testing that updates don't break the users' internet connection.

 

[MrGenius]

You can change the Windows Update settings to "Download updates but let me choose whether to install them" or "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them". Or even "Never check for updates", if you want to check for, download, and/or install them manually.

How hard is that?

 

[P4-630]

I'm using "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them", I always want to make a system restore point manually before installing updates.
BTW why does windows 8/8.1 no longer makes restore points automatically before updating?

 

[Mumpmeister]

Thanks, guys. I guess, Mr. G., the "hard" part there was magically knowing somehow that that choice existed, and then where to find it.
I plan to create a restore point tonight, and then say "Ha ha! Update this!"