Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Legacy Policies Description
If you enable this policy, a restart timer will always begin immediately after Windows Update installs important updates, instead of first notifying users on the login screen for at least two days. The restart timer can be configured to start with any value from 15 to 180 minutes. When the timer runs out, the restart will proceed even if the PC has signed-in users. If you disable or do not configure this policy, Windows Update will not alter its restart behavior. If the "No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations" policy is enabled, then this policy has no effect.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU Value name: AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime
Enabled: AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime = 1
Disabled: AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTimeMinutes 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: Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]
"AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime"=dword:00000001
"AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTimeMinutes"=dword:0000000fMore formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTimeMinutes' -Value 15 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTimeMinutes
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime_Minutes" value="15"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU' -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU' -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTimeMinutes' -Expected 15 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTimeMinutes' -Value 15 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
# 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: Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU' -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU' -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTimeMinutes' -Expected 15 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTimeMinutes' -Value 15 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.