Windows 10 Pro Ignores auto-restart Policy

[Shou Miko]

I am running Windows 10 Pro v2004 OS Buld 19041.508 and I discovered that it ignores policies I have edited in Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) the specific policy it ignores is:

No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations

I have Enabled this because I do not want Windows 10 to restart and I want to do it myself even I do have a login password on my machine.

When I am out usually for work but I am home before 9PM in the evening and after that to like 7:30 AM in the morning it's logged into Windows 10 but it still restartes never when I am out from 7:30AM to 9PM but usually I am home before but it never restarts while being on lock screen.

Is there something that can be done? By a quick online search I can see I am not the online one with this problem so maybe my chance of getting this to work is slim

 

[Solaris17]

Your not, but some GPOs are ignored unless you are on enterprise or education skus

 

[Shou Miko]

Your not, but some GPOs are ignored unless you are on enterprise or education skus

Hmm that's great to know, but it has worked in the past so I guess Microsoft f***ed up something more in version 2004

Been thinking about trying out Windows 10 AME on my laptop but not on my gaming rig since it can cause problems with DX11 games and properly others too it's a shame.

 

[newtekie1]

Just set active times under updates in settings. You can set an 18 hour time frame where Windows won't restart or install updates. Set it to the time you are home, so it won't restart on you, problem solved.

 

[Shou Miko]

Just set active times under updates in settings. You can set an 18 hour time frame where Windows won't restart or install updates. Set it to the time you are home, so it won't restart on you, problem solved.

Problem is it usually does it when I am asleep on the week days.

 

[elemelek]

Do you have "Configure Automatic Updates" policy configured?

 

[Shou Miko]

Do you have "Configure Automatic Updates" policy configured?

Yeah it's there but state is "Not configured" because I haven't touched it.

I don't mind it's download the updates that's fine as long as it doesn't reboot to install them.

 

[elemelek]

Yeah it's there but state is "Not configured" because I haven't touched it.

I don't mind it's download the updates that's fine as long as it doesn't reboot to install them.

Configure that one to perform scheduled installations and the other one should start working.

 

[Kursah]

Problem is it usually does it when I am asleep on the week days.

Well I mean that is the intention by design. You really should only be dealing with this once a month, is it more frequently?

I have gotten that GPO to work on 10 Pro systems iirc, but not locally in most cases I work within domain controlled environments. But regardless, not sure of the situation, but is it a deal-breaker to reboot once a month to apply updates if it is in-fact only rebooting once a month?

Are you locking your system or do you set it to stay logged on constantly?

To temporarily kill the timer, you can kill Windows Updates services in administrative command prompt via net stop wuauserv , some folks disable the Windows Update service which I strongly recommend against. I'd just disable it after the timer starts if you want to wait a bit longer before rebooting.

As @elemelek suggests, I agree, give it a shot:

Since you're in GPO's is to go back in there, and navigate to Computer > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Updates > Configure Automatic Updates

Within that set to Enabled, and then set the Configuration automatic updating option to 2 - Notify for download and auto install. Then you control when you download, install and reboot. You can also do performed scheduled installations as well. Either way you'll take more control.

 

[newtekie1]

Well I mean that is the intention by design. You really should only be dealing with this once a month, is it more frequently?

Yeah, I guess that is where I'm confused. Who cares if the computer reboots in the middle of the night when you're asleep? Unless you have some program running that you want to continue to run after the reboot, but there are simple ways around that.

 

[Shou Miko]

Yeah, I guess that is where I'm confused. Who cares if the computer reboots in the middle of the night when you're asleep? Unless you have some program running that you want to continue to run after the reboot, but there are simple ways around that.

It's just I have my account on my PC password protected so if my computer reboots doing the night the applications that I need running doesn't run until I sign in which it's a shame.

 

[newtekie1]

It's just I have my account on my PC password protected so if my computer reboots doing the night the applications that I need running doesn't run until I sign in which it's a shame.

So use the built in tool to auto-log into your account after it reboots.

 

[Mr Bill]

You could just purchase Windows 10 2019 Enterprise LTSC and not have to deal with this very often. I just went from LTSB to LTSC and I like it.

 

[R-T-B]

You could just purchase Windows 10 2019 Enterprise LTSC and not have to deal with this very often. I just went from LTSB to LTSC and I like it.

It still has the same "update tuesday" schedule.

 

[AAF Optimus]

I am running Windows 10 Pro v2004 OS Buld 19041.508 and I discovered that it ignores policies I have edited in Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) the specific policy it ignores is:

No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations

I have Enabled this because I do not want Windows 10 to restart and I want to do it myself even I do have a login password on my machine.

When I am out usually for work but I am home before 9PM in the evening and after that to like 7:30 AM in the morning it's logged into Windows 10 but it still restartes never when I am out from 7:30AM to 9PM but usually I am home before but it never restarts while being on lock screen.

Is there something that can be done? By a quick online search I can see I am not the online one with this problem so maybe my chance of getting this to work is slim

A suggestion: Change the active time in Settings> Update and Security

Another suggestion: Deselect the option "Restart the device as soon as possible when a restart is required to install an update ..."

 

[Mr Bill]

It still has the same "update tuesday" schedule.

I have one machine with 10 Pro ver. 2004, it seem that thing updates every time I boot up, I haven't had an update with LTSC in over 40 days, and I do check for updates, go figure.

 

[R-T-B]

I have one machine with 10 Pro ver. 2004, it seem that thing updates every time I boot up, I haven't had an update with LTSC in over 40 days, and I do check for updates, go figure.

You're doing something unusual gp wise then, I have precisely one LTSC notebook and it gets less updates on patch tueaday, but it still gets them.

 

[Mr Bill]

You're doing something unusual gp wise then.

Maybe I did, probably should go check...I still get updates on my LTSB drive, thought Bill was going to put a stop to that.

 

[Shihab]

I have the same "issue" here, on both 1903 and 1909. I think it has been the so for a while now.
Only solution I could come up with is to not go to sleep with a pending update. Either don't start the download/install in the first place before you sleep (assuming you chose mode 2 or 3 for the config), or just let install, restart, and then run whatever you want to run for the night.

Though MS does threaten that it will force some "required" updates regardless, my experience is that the OS would wait for whichever step you set it to notify you for (download or install), so if you postponed clicking that button, you're safe for the night.

Yeah, I guess that is where I'm confused. Who cares if the computer reboots in the middle of the night when you're asleep? Unless you have some program running that you want to continue to run after the reboot, but there are simple ways around that.

No, not always. Not all programs are designed to retain and resume all states or capable of doing so in all scenarios.

 

[Mr Bill]

I have the same "issue" here, on both 1903 and 1909. I think it has been the so for a while now.

You might want to plan a small vacation, when it wants to go to ver. 2004. It's nice having 4-PC's when these updates start. I have the latest version of 10 Ver. 2004, LTSC and LTSB and of course 7, O and XP Pro 64 bit.

 

[sam_86314]

To stop automatic updates outright, I've gone all out using WuMgr (an open-source Windows Update manager) with a script I wrote that enables the update service, launches WuMgr to check for updates, waits for WuMgr to be closed, and finally disables the update service. Now my PC only updates when I tell it to, and I choose what updates get installed and when to restart.

Here's my script if anyone wants to look at it...

Spoiler: WuMgr Script

@echo off
:: WuMgr Update Script 1.2.
:: Written by @sam_86314 on 8/26/2020. Feel free to modify for your own use.

:adminchk
:: Checks for administrator privileges and terminates if it doesn't have them.
net session >nul 2>&1
if %errorlevel% == 0 goto start
goto end

:start
:: Starts WuMgr (if installed in that specific directory) and makes it search for updates.
:: Also configures Windows Update service to manual so WuMgr can start it.
sc config wuauserv start=demand >nul 2>&1
sc start wuauserv >nul 2>&1
start "" "C:\Programs\WuMgr\wumgr.exe" -update
goto loop

:loop
:: Waits for WuMgr to be manually closed after updates are installed.
:: Checks every second. Probably not the best way, but it works.
tasklist | find /i "wumgr" >nul 2>&1
if errorlevel 1 goto stop
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
goto loop

:stop
:: Stops and disables Windows Update service.
:: Note that this affects Windows Store and possibly other things.
sc config wuauserv start=disabled >nul 2>&1
sc stop wuauserv >nul 2>&1
goto end

:end
exit

 

[newtekie1]

No, not always. Not all programs are designed to retain and resume all states or capable of doing so in all scenarios.

Yeah, there are a few rarities sure. But I'd be looking for better software instead of trying to kill Windows' security.

 

[Shihab]

You might want to plan a small vacation, when it wants to go to ver. 2004. It's nice having 4-PC's when these updates start. I have the latest version of 10 Ver. 2004, LTSC and LTSB and of course 7, O and XP Pro 64 bit.

Got till December to figure out how I'm going to survive this upgrade. Fortunately, I do have an Ubuntu dual-booting with the 1903 with (most of) the software I regularly use, just in case MS did what MS does.
Assuming this new ext4 support doesn't end up helping them nuke that installation as well...

Yeah, there are a few rarities sure. But I'd be looking for better software instead of trying to kill Windows' security.

That isn't always a possibility either, sadly. Blame it on project constraints/requirements, lack of alternatives, or simply high cost of replacement.
Windows' security can get by deferring a patch a night or two. Most security related updates are Defender upgrades and definitions, anyway, and those don't require reboots.

 

[lemonadesoda]

I just got fked again by Windows. Returned to my home-office. PC had Windows-Update rebooted. Hours of work lost. I thought I had blocked these updates - apparently not! Problem is, you can use a tool like O&O Shut up to disable updates - but somehow - automagically - Windows sneaks in to undo all those update-stops and turns them back on again. Oh I do wish I'd stuck with Windows 2003 for my PRODUCTIVITY - ie WORK - computer. The only reason I upgraded in the end was because of software refusing to install on it without a LOT of workaround, which became tiresome.

What are my options: LTSB? Can I block that one from updating?