Reschedule Automatic Updates scheduled installations
Specifies the amount of time for Automatic Updates to wait following system startup before proceeding with a scheduled installation that was missed previously. If the status is set to Enabled a scheduled installation that did not take place earlier will occur the specified number of minutes after the computer is next started. If the status is set to Disabled a missed scheduled installation will occur with the next scheduled installation. If the status is set to Not Configured a missed scheduled installation will occur one minute after the computer is next started. Note: This policy applies only when Automatic Updates is configured to perform scheduled installations of updates. If the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy is disabled this policy has no effect.
Delay Restart for scheduled installations
Specifies the amount of time for Automatic Updates to wait before proceeding with a scheduled restart. If the status is set to Enabled a scheduled restart will occur the specified number of minutes after the installation is finished. If the status is set to Disabled or Not Configured the default wait time is 15 minutes. Note: This policy applies only when Automatic Updates is configured to perform scheduled installations of updates. If the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy is disabled this policy has no effect.
Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations
Specifies the amount of time for Automatic Updates to wait before prompting again with a scheduled restart. If the status is set to Enabled a scheduled restart will occur the specified number of minutes after the previous prompt for restart was postponed. If the status is set to Disabled or Not Configured the default interval is 10 minutes. Note: This policy applies only when Automatic Updates is configured to perform scheduled installations of updates. If the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy is disabled this policy has no effect. This policy has no effect on Windows RT
Always automatically restart at the scheduled time
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.
No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations
Specifies that to complete a scheduled installation Automatic Updates will wait for the computer to be restarted by any user who is logged on instead of causing the computer to restart automatically. If the status is set to Enabled Automatic Updates will not restart a computer automatically during a scheduled installation if a user is logged in to the computer. Instead Automatic Updates will notify the user to restart the computer. Be aware that the computer needs to be restarted for the updates to take effect. If the status is set to Disabled or Not Configured Automatic Updates will notify the user that the computer will automatically restart in 5 minutes to complete the installation. Note: This policy applies only when Automatic Updates is configured to perform scheduled installations of updates. If the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy is disabled this policy has no effect.
Enabling Windows Update Power Management to automatically wake up the system to install scheduled updates
Specifies whether the Windows Update will use the Windows Power Management features to automatically wake up the system from hibernation if there are updates scheduled for installation. Windows Update will only automatically wake up the system if Windows Update is configured to install updates automatically. If the system is in hibernation when the scheduled install time occurs and there are updates to be applied then Windows Update will use the Windows Power management features to automatically wake the system up to install the updates. Windows update will also wake the system up and install an update if an install deadline occurs. The system will not wake unless there are updates to be installed. If the system is on battery power when Windows Update wakes it up it will not install updates and the system will automatically return to hibernation in 2 minutes.
Turn on Software Notifications
This policy setting allows you to control whether users see detailed enhanced notification messages about featured software from the Microsoft Update service. Enhanced notification messages convey the value and promote the installation and use of optional software. This policy setting is intended for use in loosely managed environments in which you allow the end user access to the Microsoft Update service. If you enable this policy setting a notification message will appear on the user’s computer when featured software is available. The user can click the notification to open the Windows Update Application and get more information about the software or install it. The user can also click “Close this message” or “Show me later” to defer the notification as appropriate. In Windows 7 this policy setting will only control detailed notifications for optional applications. In Windows Vista this policy setting controls detailed notifications for optional applications and updates. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting Windows 7 users will not be offered detailed notification messages for optional applications and Windows Vista users will not be offered detailed notification messages for optional applications or updates. By default this policy setting is disabled. If you are not using the Microsoft Update service then the Software Notifications policy setting has no effect. If the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy setting is disabled or is not configured then the Software Notifications policy setting has no effect.
Turn on recommended updates via Automatic Updates
Specifies whether Automatic Updates will deliver both important as well as recommended updates from the Windows Update update service. When this policy is enabled Automatic Updates will install recommended updates as well as important updates from Windows Update update service. When disabled or not configured Automatic Updates will continue to deliver important updates if it is already configured to do so.
Allow Automatic Updates immediate installation
Specifies whether Automatic Updates should automatically install certain updates that neither interrupt Windows services nor restart Windows. If the status is set to Enabled Automatic Updates will immediately install these updates once they are downloaded and ready to install. If the status is set to Disabled such updates will not be installed immediately. Note: If the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy is disabled this policy has no effect.
Allow non-administrators to receive update notifications
This policy setting allows you to control whether non-administrative users will receive update notifications based on the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy setting. If you enable this policy setting Windows Automatic Update and Microsoft Update will include non-administrators when determining which logged-on user should receive update notifications. Non-administrative users will be able to install all optional recommended and important content for which they received a notification. Users will not see a User Account Control window and do not need elevated permissions to install these updates except in the case of updates that contain User Interface End User License Agreement or Windows Update setting changes. There are two situations where the effect of this setting depends on the operating system: Hide/Restore updates and Cancel an install. On XP: If you enable this policy setting users will not see a User Account Control window and do not need elevated permissions to do either of these update-related tasks. On Vista: If you enable this policy setting users will not see a User Account Control window and do not need elevated permissions to do either of these tasks. If you do not enable this policy setting then users will always see an Account Control window and require elevated permissions to do either of these tasks. On Windows 7 : This policy setting has no effect. Users will always see an Account Control window and require elevated permissions to do either of these tasks. On Windows 8 and Windows RT: This policy setting has no effect. Users will always see an Account Control window and require elevated permissions to do either of these tasks. If you disable this policy setting then only administrative users will receive update notifications. Note: On Windows 8 and Windows RT this policy setting is enabled by default. In all prior versions of windows it is disabled by default. If the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy setting is disabled or is not configured then the Elevate Non-Admin policy setting has no effect.