Forum Discussion
No automatic reboot after moving Windows 10 to Windows 11
Anyone has been successful on this job? This will be pushed automatically to managed workstations via PowerShell / cmd scripts. So, the goal is to trigger upgrade work PCs during business hours (silent and background process) but to the extent of scheduling its reboot after business hours.
I have tested a number of ways to do this with Windows11upgradeassistant and the windows 11 ISO setup disc. But will all end up rebooting the PC's without user intervention and in the middle of work. Unsaved documents lost and everything.
Configure Active Hours on user machines to specify when they are typically used. This ensures that users aren't interrupted during specified hours.
You can automate the upgrade process using the Windows Update Assistant. However, to prevent immediate reboots, you’ll need to adjust the Windows Update settings.
To upgrade Windows 10 workstations to Windows 11 while controlling the timing of automatic restarts, you can utilize Group Policy settings to define active hours and manage restart behaviors. This approach ensures that upgrades occur during business hours without unexpected reboots disrupting users' work. Here's how you can achieve this:
- Configure Active Hours:
Active hours specify the timeframe during which automatic restarts are prevented. By setting active hours to encompass your business hours, you can ensure that any necessary restarts occur outside this period.
- Using Group Policy:
- Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
- Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
- Locate and double-click on "Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours".
- Set this policy to Enabled, then specify the Start and End times that align with your business hours.
This configuration ensures that automatic restarts are suppressed during the specified active hours.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/update/waas-restart
- Schedule Automatic Restarts Outside Active Hours:
To ensure that restarts occur after business hours, you can configure the system to automatically restart at a scheduled time outside the active hours.
- Using Group Policy:
- In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
- Locate and double-click on "Always automatically restart at the scheduled time".
- Set this policy to Enabled, then specify the Scheduled install day and Scheduled install time that fall outside your active hours.
This setting forces the system to restart at the specified time, ensuring that restarts occur outside of business hours.
- Implementing the Upgrade via PowerShell or Command Scripts:
When deploying the Windows 11 upgrade through PowerShell or command-line scripts, ensure that these scripts respect the configured active hours and restart policies. This approach minimizes user disruption by aligning the upgrade process with your organization's restart schedules.
- Communicate with End Users:
Inform users about the upcoming upgrade and the expected restart schedule. Encourage them to save their work regularly and leave their computers powered on outside of active hours to facilitate the upgrade process.
By configuring active hours and scheduling automatic restarts appropriately, you can manage the Windows 11 upgrade process to occur during business hours while ensuring that restarts happen after hours, thereby minimizing disruption to users.
