Windows 11: Auto-Download Updates, Notify to Install (No Surprise Restarts)
If your PC rebooted after a security update, you’re seeing the downside of Windows Update’s multi-layer scheduling.
This post provides two ready-to-run “policy bundles” (one for Windows 11 Home and one for Windows 11 Pro) that set the closest practical configuration to:
- Automatically download updates
- No automatic install (prompt/notify to install)
- No auto-restart while logged in
- Do not wake the PC to apply updates (best effort)
Download
Download the ZIP bundle (includes Home + Pro scripts and a README). Add your own link below once uploaded to your media library.
ZIP: [Upload the ZIP to WordPress Media Library and paste the URL here]
Which bundle should you run?
First, confirm your edition:
Settings → System → About → Windows specifications → Edition.
- Windows 11 Home: run
windows-update-policy-bundle-home.ps1 - Windows 11 Pro / Enterprise / Education: run
windows-update-policy-bundle-pro.ps1
How to run (recommended)
- Download and unzip the bundle.
- Right-click the script for your edition → Run with PowerShell.
- Approve UAC elevation.
- If Settings doesn’t reflect the changes immediately, reboot once.
What the scripts do: they write Windows Update policy keys under
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
to enforce “auto-download + notify to install”, and to prevent automatic restart while a user is logged on.
Post-run settings you should still verify
These are UI-level settings that further reduce restart surprises:
- Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → enable restart notifications (wording varies)
- Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → set Active hours wide (manual)
- On Ethernet: keep Metered connection Off if you want automatic downloading