# Stop auto reboot of Windows 7 after update **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259 "2010-01-24T18:59:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259/1 "2010-01-24T18:59:14Z")
My wife’s laptop is running Windows 7, and has the problem that it forces a reboot unless you tell it not to every ten minutes. It’s not the professional edition, so I can’t use gpedit. Looking around the web, there are many solutions like [this page](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328010), telling me to add an entry to the pre-existing registry key HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU That key does not exist. What does exist is HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows with no “WindowsUpdate” under it. Can I add that, then add AU, then follow the rest of the instructions? Is it in a new place now or named differently? I’m not interested in “Get a new OS”, “Get a Mac”, and “Oh, you shouldn’t change it” or other similar unhelpful comments. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259/2 "2010-01-24T19:09:21Z")
In my experience, if a set of instructions involves adding an entry to a key, and you find the key doesn’t exist, then creating the key yourself would work. What version of Windows IS it? One of the two that I own is Home Premium, and it doesn’t auto-reboot. So I think I have a setting somewhere that tells it not to. I have mine set to download automatically, but only install on my say-so. And when it is installed I don’t think it bugs me every ten minutes. I think it asks me once, and then doesn’t ask again if I say now (but leaves the little icon in the corner as a reminder that a reboot is required to finish updating) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259/3 "2010-01-24T19:11:07Z")
You should be able to tell it to not bother you for 4 hours. It’s a drop-down which defaults to 10 mins. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259/4 "2010-01-24T19:48:13Z")
Change your windows update settings to “Let me choose when to install items.” You have it set to choose at a certain time, install, and reboot. If you would like to retain your setting but just stop the reboot then its easier than changing the reg key: type gpedit.msc into your search box in start Navigate to Computer Config - admin - windows components - windows updates and change the No Auto-restart setting Screenhot here: > **[ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs](https://imageshack.com)** > > Unlimited space to host images, easy to use image uploader, albums, photo hosting, sharing, dynamic image resizing on web and mobile. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259/5 "2010-01-24T22:00:17Z")
> [@HorseloverFat](#): > > Change your windows update settings to “Let me choose when to install items.” You have it set to choose at a certain time, install, and reboot. > > If you would like to retain your setting but just stop the reboot then its easier than changing the reg key: > > type gpedit.msc into your search box in start > > Navigate to Computer Config - admin - windows components - windows updates > > and change the No Auto-restart setting > > Screenhot here: > > [ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs](http://yfrog.com/2mwindowsqp) OP… > [@ZenBeam](#): > > … It’s not the professional edition, so I can’t use gpedit… I’ve confirmed it with my home premium version of W7 ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259/6 "2010-01-25T00:38:45Z")
Whoops missed that. Can you run mmc.exe and add the group policy editor snap-in? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259/7 "2010-01-25T01:53:04Z")
Thanks all. I added the keys, and then added **NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers** with a value of 1. It’ll be a while before I know if it worked. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-auto-reboot-of-windows-7-after-update/526259/8 "2010-01-26T10:33:38Z")
> [@HorseloverFat](#): > > Whoops missed that. Can you run mmc.exe and add the group policy editor snap-in? If it works like XP Home did, gpedit cannot be started no matter how you try to do it (other than upgrading to Pro, whether officially or by hack)