RebootBlocker

Though considered to be a major step forward, especially when compared to its immediate previous versions, Windows 10 still offers reasons to annoy Microsoft users.

For one, its update policy. Not only it downloads and installs automatically whatever new updates are released, but also reboots your PC right afterwards regardless of its activity status. RebootBlocker is a tiny free Windows Service capable of reversing that unfair situation.

Check which version of Windows 10 you have installed on your computer. If it starts with 1607, that means that your PC has been blessed with the Anniversary Update, released in August 2016. What makes this update special is that it made RebootBlocker possible. So far, Windows 10 Home users had to choose between cheating their OS by stating that their Internet connection is metered (and thus prevent it from downloading and installing updates automatically) or letting it update your OS without warning and suffer the consequences of the subsequent forced restart. RebootBlocker allows you to stop that while keeping your Windows 10 always up to date.

Windows 10 Anniversary Update includes a new feature called “Active hours”, which prevents the operating system from rebooting in the 12-hour period (or less) that you mark as “active”. RebootBlocker works as one more of the many Windows services running in the background and updates your “active hours” timeslot every hour, so that the OS believes that your PC is always too busy for a restart.

This simple, clever, and free solution will remain always active in the background, yet consuming very few of your system resources. There is no way of monitoring its success as it has no interface and produces no activity logs, but if enough time passes without suddenly finding your PC waiting for you to log in after an unrequested restart, take it as proof that this little gem works.