My PC keeps restarting in the middle of work without warning after Windows installs updates overnight. I've tried disabling automatic restart in settings but it still happens. Is there a way to at least get a warning before it forces a restart, or do I need to disable auto-updates entirely?
Windows will still bug you even during Active Hours if updates are marked "critical" - the real move is going into Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and setting "No auto-restart with logged in users" which actually prevents forced restarts instead of just delaying them. If you're on Windows Home edition without Group Policy access, your only solid option is switching to metered connection or turning off automatic updates entirely, then manually checking for them on your own schedule.
The "Active hours" feature in Settings > System > Recovery is your best bet - set it to when you're actually working and Windows won't force restart during that window, though you'll still need to manually install updates eventually. If that's not cutting it, you can switch to "Notify for download and auto-install" in Windows Update settings so you get a heads-up before the restart happens, giving you time to save your work and trigger it yourself.
I had the same problem where my machine would restart mid-afternoon and I'd lose unsaved work, which was infuriating. The thing most people miss is that even if you set Active Hours, Windows will still eventually force a restart if you haven't restarted in like two weeks - so you can't just ignore it forever. Your best move is to manually check for updates on your own schedule (Settings > Update & Security > Check for updates), install them, then restart when you're ready, rather than letting it run on autopilot. You can also try disabling the "Windows Update" service entirely if you want total control, but then you're responsible for remembering to update, which most people don't do and that's its own security headache.
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