Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage end user experience Description
If you enable this policy, the PC will not automatically restart after updates during active hours. The PC will attempt to restart outside of active hours. Note that the PC must restart for certain updates to take effect. If you disable or do not configure this policy and have no other reboot group policies, the user selected active hours will be in effect. If any of the following two policies are enabled, this policy has no effect: 1. No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations. 2. Always automatically restart at scheduled time. Note that the default max active hours range is 18 hours from the active hours start time unless otherwise configured via the Specify active hours range for auto-restarts policy.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate Value name: SetActiveHours
Enabled: SetActiveHours = 1
Disabled: SetActiveHours = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/ActiveHoursEnd Multiple CSP matches are possible; the first one was selected.
Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"SetActiveHours"=dword:00000001
"ActiveHoursStart"=dword:00000008
"ActiveHoursEnd"=dword:00000011More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SetActiveHours' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursStart' -Value 8 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursEnd' -Value 17 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/ActiveHoursEnd
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="ActiveHoursStartTime" value="8"/>
<data id="ActiveHoursEndTime" value="17"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'SetActiveHours' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'ActiveHoursStart' -Expected 8 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'ActiveHoursEnd' -Expected 17 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SetActiveHours' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursStart' -Value 8 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursEnd' -Value 17 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'SetActiveHours' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'ActiveHoursStart' -Expected 8 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'ActiveHoursEnd' -Expected 17 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SetActiveHours' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursStart' -Value 8 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursEnd' -Value 17 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.