Prevent Windows Server 2012 from forcing a reboot after updates

windows-server-2012

I have a domain controller with Windows Server 2012 on it. After updates, the server does not reboot immediately. However if I remote into the server I will be presented with a countdown for a reboot. The only options are to restart now or to close the notification. However the countdown still continues and the server eventually reboots without my permission. How can I stop this from occurring?

Best Answer

There is a Local Group Policies you can set to disable the automatic restarts. This should only be done on Windows Servers assuming a sysadmin is going to RDP into the server on a regular schedule and install updates and restart the server (see Patch Tuesday).

  1. Press Windows Key+R to open the run prompt.
  2. Type "gpedit.msc" and press enter.
  3. In the "Local Group Policy Editor", navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
  4. Enable the "Configure Automatic Updates" policy and set it to "2".
  5. Enable the "No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations" policy.
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