Prevent Windows XP Update from Auto Restarts

Posted by Joe Vandal
October 20, 2006

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Windows XP Update Security ScreenI’m glad Microsoft is frequently administering Windows XP with automatic updates, it generally makes for a more secure and less glitchy computer. I get frustrated, though, when I leave my computer with several browser tabs and documents open, and return later to find Windows Update automatically restarted my computer. I know the updates are important, but they can wait awhile for me to save bookmarks and documents.

Fortunately, you can force XP Update to wait for you to restart on your own. It is easy and takes less than 30 seconds.

Windows XP Update Security ScreenClick your “Start” button on your taskbar, and navigate to your “Control Panel”. In the Control Panel, click on the “Security Center” (pictured here). It has the icon that looks like a shield containing the four Microsoft colors (red, green, blue, and yellow).

In the Security Center window, you have some important settings that should be addressed to keep your computer secure, such as the firewall and virus protections. Click on the “Automatic Updates” link (circled in the picture).

In the new window that opens, the top option, “Automatic (recommended)” is set by default, and that’s the one that causes the computer to restart automatically also. You can set it so you have to update manually, but that is a lame chore nobody ever keeps up with.

Windows XP Update Security ScreenThe best option is to select “Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them”. This way the updates will download as soon as they’re available, but your computer will just ask you to restart instead of automatically rebooting for you.

Since you can now wait for your restart, it’s sometimes tempting to not reboot for several days. This is not a good idea, because some of those updates patch vulnerabilities that hackers are using that very day. Resisting the restart for several days is bad karma for your computer, but a few hours usually won’t cause a problem.

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