Get Rid of the Windows Update Restart Nag

Windows is relentless with its nagging to restart your computer after you download a few updates. So, if you are being bothered by the nag dialog this very moment:

1. Bring up your Run window ( Start > Run... or WindowsKey + R ).
2. Type cmd and hit OK to bring up the Command prompt.
   
3. Type sc stop wuauserv and hit the Enter key.

EDIT: You can apparently just skip step two and type sc stop wuauserv directly into the Run window prompt.

The Windows Update pop-up will immediately go away. Hooray!


Now, to keep that nag dialog less naggy next time, you have to edit your Group Policy. This only seems to be an option for Windows XP Professional users.

1. Bring up your Run window ( Start > Run... or WindowsKey + R ).
2. Type gpedit.msc and hit OK.
3. In the Group Policy editor, navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
4. Make sure the right pane is on the Standard tab.
5. Double-click the entry for Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations.
6. Select the Enabled radio button and change the value of restart (minutes) to 1440. This is the maximum value you can use and will delay the next restart nag for 24 hours. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way of keeping the restart notification from coming up ever again.
7. While you're in the Group Policy editor, set No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations to Enabled. That should keep your computer from auto-rebooting while you're away.

After making the Group Policy changes, you may need to reboot.

I actually stole these suggestions from here and here.