You can stop the service starting again when you reboot:
Double click the service or Right click/Properties
Startup type choose Manual or Disabled. Manual means you can start it yourself Disabled means you can’t start it.
Here’s a little batch file I wrote…probably could be leaner (I’d love to see this as a tiny assembly-language executable)—whattamyknow, but it works; call it what you wish:
REM Disable Reboot Reminder.bat
echo off
cls
cd
cd C:\WINDOWS\system32
sc stop wuauserv
cls
THANKS!!! I also want to restart my computer when I feel like it.
LOL @ Mister Naggy McNaggerson. good one.
Thanks for this Jeff - you have been a great help
Great post, just wanted to put this in on the end for people crawling via Google:
The registry edit fix does work for users of windows XP home (those unlucky people like myself who don’t have pro).
This link is great for people who know what there doing:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328010
Or this one for a nice picture of what it should look like:
http://www.sweetpotatosoftware.com/SPSBlog/PermaLink,guid,c81a036d-9a43-4a4e-8c31-3d9d2f73da76.aspx
You will probably have to create the keys \WindowsUpdate\AU yourself. Then just create the DWORD values as shown on the second link.
Thanks,
Great post, just wanted to put this in on the end for people crawling via Google:
The registry edit fix does work for users of windows XP home (those unlucky people like myself who don’t have pro).
This link is great for people who know what there doing:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328010
Or this one for a nice picture of what it should look like:
http://www.sweetpotatosoftware.com/SPSBlog/PermaLink,guid,c81a036d-9a43-4a4e-8c31-3d9d2f73da76.aspx
You will probably have to create the keys \WindowsUpdate\AU yourself. Then just create the DWORD values as shown on the second link.
THANKS MAN!
You just saved my life with this “correction” to Sucky XP
At work I can’t modify this settings so I just move the evil devil window to the bottom-right corner and let it sit there for a week.
Thanks for that - its so annoying - you’ve saved me a lot of time. Cheers
To prevent Automatic Updates from restarting a computer while users are logged on, the administrator can create the NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers registry value in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU. The value is a DWORD and must be either 0 (false) or 1 (true). If this value is changed while the computer is in a restart pending state, it will not take effect until the next time an update requires a restart.
I can’t tell you how happy this post made me. As a developer I’m kind of on the brink of a breakdown to begin with, this little msgbox almost drove me right over the edge. Safe for now! Thanks
I’m just reinstalling Windows which of course means lots of new updates. Along with the reinstall, I’m using Files and Settings Transfer Wizard which is taking a long, long time to complete. It’s fair to say that FSTW and Updates get done at the same time by a lot of people so the last thing we need is for the PC to reboot in the middle. So thank heavens for your simple advice. I dread to think what would have happened if it had rebooted in the middle.
Thank god you posted a solution to this problem. This is quite possibly one of the most annoying automatic services in existance.
:[
“Be aware that the computer needs to be restarted for the updates to take effect.”
so close, yet so far
I have automatic updates turned on but, suppose I don’t want to install certain updates (i.e. Windows Genuine Advantage notification)?
How can I turn off the nag icon that such an update is available? Since I’ve already made the decision I don’t want it (isn’t it nice that Microsoft gives the option not to accept every update?), I should also be free of the constant reminder that it’s there.
Sometimes I wonder if Microsoft ever uses their own software because there are so many things about the way you are forced work with it.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions regarding this ‘feature’.
Thanks, man!
I hate this stupid dialog box. Several times I was typing on my pc and this box pops up inadvertedly, i hit a word with “n” and my pc shutsdown!
You’re the man now, dog!
from a happy video editor (in the middle of rendering a long sequence) - cheers doods! can get to me bed now, hopefully…
just another note on above, my sys (XP/Pro, German) seems to limit the scheduled time interval to 30 mins max, sigh… - I have (hopefully) just killed the damn thing, tomorrow, I am gonna pick every damn byte of MSs never-ending “automatic update/Genuine Verification/Just Checking Rebooting for the sheer hell of it, actually” bullshit out of my drive and stomp on their asses till they bleed. Thankfully, Richmond itself remains outwith my geographical reach, otherwise…
Goddamn STOOPID FOOKIN IDEA that was - No wonder Linux is getting popular…
Quote :
As Ole Eichhorn points out you can kill the dialog by stopping the service. I personally use the command line “sc stop wuauserv” rather than the gui, but its the same thing.
Ian on May 19, 2005 03:55 AM
Worked perfectly thanks a lot 
Thanks a lot. Thinking, I was the only one who hates this. I am now very pleased to see that I am not alone…
I put the annoying to the side in the past, yet few days ago after I installed several latest updates, the annoying dialog gave me 5 mins to click on the cancel bottom otherwise, the pc will reboot itself. WTF… I hate anything to limit my freedom to deal with a machine!!
Anyone encountered this 5 mins countdown lately?