Specify active hours range for auto-restarts
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
Enable this policy to specify the maximum number of hours from the start time that users can set their active hours. The max active hours range can be set between 8 and 18 hours. If you disable or do not configure this policy, the default max active hours range will be used.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate Value name: SetActiveHoursMaxRange
Enabled: SetActiveHoursMaxRange = 1
Disabled: SetActiveHoursMaxRange = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/ActiveHoursMaxRange 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: Specify active hours range for auto-restarts
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"SetActiveHoursMaxRange"=dword:00000001
"ActiveHoursMaxRange"=dword:00000012More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify active hours range for auto-restarts
# 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 'SetActiveHoursMaxRange' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursMaxRange' -Value 18 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/ActiveHoursMaxRange
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="ActiveHoursMaxRange" value="18"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify active hours range for auto-restarts
# 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'SetActiveHoursMaxRange' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'ActiveHoursMaxRange' -Expected 18 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify active hours range for auto-restarts
# 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 'SetActiveHoursMaxRange' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursMaxRange' -Value 18 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify active hours range for auto-restarts
# 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: Specify active hours range for auto-restarts
# 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'SetActiveHoursMaxRange' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'ActiveHoursMaxRange' -Expected 18 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify active hours range for auto-restarts
# 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 'SetActiveHoursMaxRange' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ActiveHoursMaxRange' -Value 18 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.