If a reboot isn't convenient, put it off for three days. And another three. And another three.
When it launched, Windows 10 had a really bad habit of spontaneously rebooting to install updates. Updates were coming fast and furious in its early months, which was to be expected during an OS launch. A restart without warning was not expected or appreciated, and this earned Redmond some anger.
Eventually they tamed that beast, giving people options when to reboot and warning them that one was needed. Now Microsoft is promising even more control over when you reboot, including the option to indefinitely postpone it, as documented in a new blog post.
“Prior to the Creators Update, Windows 10 made most of the decisions for you regarding when updates would be installed and didn’t provide ways to tailor the timing to your specific needs,” wrote John Cable, Microsoft director of program management in the Windows Servicing and Delivery (WSD) team.
“What we heard back most explicitly was that you want more control over when Windows 10 installs updates. We also heard that unexpected reboots are disruptive if they happen at the wrong time,” he added.
The Creators Update will allow users to “hit the snooze button,” as it were, and delay reboots for up to three days, and reportedly users will be able to repeat this indefinitely. So, if you want to wait a week on a restart, you can do so.
Hidden control: Delay installation of updates for 35 days
You can actually delay the installation of updates for a month. People using Creators Update builds have dug up a more powerful control hidden away in Settings > Update & Security > Advanced. Under this option, consumers can delay the installation of updates for up to 35 days, something previously limited to the Pro edition of Windows 10.
In addition, Microsoft is expanding the “Active Hours” time so Windows doesn’t install an update at times when you want your device to be ready to use. Active Hours is a period where Windows won’t download an update, leaving you free to work undisturbed.
New Windows 10 privacy features
Separately in the blog post, Michael Fortin, corporate vice president of Windows and Devices Group Core Quality, stressed that “new privacy-centric features [are] coming in the Creators Update. This new functionality will make it easier to choose the privacy and diagnostic data collection settings that are best for you.”
There is a whole new control panel for Windows 10 diagnostic data and privacy that would indicate a change from the previous data gathering methods. These methods rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, who felt Microsoft was spying on them, and led to utilities such as DoNotSpy to disable the features. Maybe Microsoft realized people were shutting everything off and it wasn’t getting telemetry it needed so it softened things a bit.
Windows 10 Creators Update is due in April.
