Windows 10: Schedule Restart Time for Windows Update in Windows 10

How to: Schedule Restart Time for Windows Update in Windows 10

How to Schedule a Restart Time for Windows Update in Windows 10


Windows Update keeps Windows 10 updated by downloading and installing the latest updates, drivers, and hotfixes released by Microsoft.

Starting with active hours. Active hours lets Windows know when you usually use this device. When a restart is necessary to finish installing an update, Windows won't automatically restart your device during active hours.

When a restart is scheduled, you can use a custom restart time to temporarily override active hours and schedule a custom time to finish installing the current update(s). When your computer restarts on the scheduled custom time, custom restart time will automatically be turned off, and Windows Update will only restart outside of active hours again. You can also manually turn off custom restart time at anytime if you change your mind.

See also: Providing customers with more choice and control in Creators Update

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off to schedule a custom restart time for Windows Update to override active hours in Windows 10.

*note You will need to make sure that your device is plugged in at the scheduled custom restart time, or your computer will be unable to restart.

*note If a restart is not currently scheduled by Windows Update, then the restart options below will be grayed out.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Schedule a Time to Restart for Updates in Notification
• Option Two: To Schedule a Time to Restart for Updates in Settings

OPTION ONE [/i] To Schedule a Time to Restart for Updates in Notification
1. If you get a We've got an update for you notification asking if you're ready to restart now to finish installing updates, click/tap on the option below in the notification for you want to do: (see screenshot below)

[table][tr][td]Option[/td] [td]Description[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Restart now[/td] [td]The computer will be restarted now to finish installing updates.[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Pick a time[/td] [td]Go to pause[/b] the update process completely for three days.[/td] [/tr] [/table]








OPTION TWO [/i] To Schedule a Time to Restart for Updates in Settings
1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Update & Security icon.

2. Click/tap on Windows Update on the left side, and click/tap on the Schedule the restart link on the right side. (see screenshot below)



3. Do step 4 (off) or step 5 (on) below for what you would like to do.


4. To Turn Off Using a Custom Restart Time
*note This is the default setting.
A) Turn off schedule a time, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)





5. To Turn On Schedule a Time to Restart
A) Turn on schedule a time. (see screenshot below)

B) Pick a time you want to schedule for this custom restart time, and click/tap on the check mark to apply.

C) Pick a day you want to schedule for this custom restart time.



D) Your device will now be scheduled to automatically restart at the time and date you set. Go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)



6. You can now close Settings if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Check for and Install Windows Updates in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Check for Windows Updates in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Automatic Updates for Windows Update in Windows 10
• Choose How Windows Updates are Delivered in Windows 10
• How to Change Active Hours for Windows Update in Windows 10
• How to Specify Max Active Hours Range for Auto-restarts in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Pause Updates in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Show More Windows Update Restart Notifications in Windows 10
• How to Configure Auto-restart Required Notification for Updates in Windows 10
• How to Configure Auto-restart Reminder Notifications for Updates in Windows 10
• How to Configure Auto-restart Warning Notifications Schedule for Updates in Windows 10
• How to Specify Deadlines for Automatic Updates and Restarts in Windows 10

:)

 

Windows update destroys several hours of work!

You never saved your work in all that time? Even once?

How to Schedule Restarts for Updates in Windows 10

 

Notify to schedule restart doesn't work

Hi Jim,

Thank you for posting on Microsoft Communities.

In Windows 10, when you choose how updates are installed, the updates are automatically downloaded and installed ate the background whenever the updates are available.

Notify to schedule restart in Windows 10 allows you to specify a time for the computer to reboot after updates are installed to finish the installation. Once the restart is scheduled You are notified that a restart has been scheduled and options are provided
for you to schedule a time for the restart to happen.

Hope this information is helpful. Please post in case you have any further issues, we will be glad to help you further.

Thank you.

 

Hello Kol12, *Smile

You'll only be able to actually set a custom restart time when you currently already have a restart scheduled.

 

Where/how am I meant to have a restart scheduled?

I'm currently downloading updates as normal (non-metered) I open WU today to find about 4 updates are ready to download with an available download button so I left it for now. I leave my PC for 10 minutes, come back and all but Cumulative update (KB3189866) have downloaded and installed themselves anyway. Is this the way it works? Do some updates download an install while the computer is idle?

Interestingly I still have the prompt to manually download the Cumulative update (KB3189866)

 

I understand now. It looks like cumulative update (KB3189866) is stuck at 95% which is probably why the scheduled restart hasn't been made...

 

Correct. Hopefully it has finished by now for you.

 

Well no it hasn't unfortunately, it didn't complete last night so I shutdown. Restarted today and it's been at 95% for over 3 hours. Many people are installing it manually but some people have decided to wait. If it doesn't complete later tonight I don't know, maybe there will be no choice but to install manually.

 

Bumped for: Providing customers with more choice and control in Creators Update