When Windows XP is finished downloading and installing new updates/patches from Microsoft Windows Update website, it will ask you to restart the computer to complete the installation.
The Restart Dialog Window can be removed by killing the wuauclt.exe process from Windows Task Manager or SysInternals Process Explorer but the most irritating part is that the window pops-up again after few minutes.
There are two solutions to get rid of this annoying Restart Window depending on what version of Windows XP you are using.
The easiest way is to start Windows Command Prompt (Start -> Run -> cmd) and type the following command:
sc stop wuauserv The Restart Window will disappear immediately including the icon in the system tray.
Reader Comments
Finally! A great solution. Thanks. It beats dragging that annoying window down into the corner and leaving just a tiny edge exposed that is barely visible. I would do that and just let the box pop-up as much as it wanted until I was ready to reboot the machine.
Written on 18/2/07 1:02 AM
Can't tell you how badly I needed this one. Thanks! :)
Written on 18/2/07 3:04 AM
Seriously: thank so much! Can't tell ya how annoying this creepy window is!
Written on 18/2/07 11:30 AM
thanks amit... i just needed it very badly. whenever i was working, this window used to pop up, n now it wont.
Written on 24/2/07 11:10 PM
Joining the other's thanks and compliments.
But what is the 2nd solution?
(you wrote that there are two solutions, but specified only one)
Thanks
Written on 18/3/07 4:09 PM
How can microsoft admit it's acceptable to annoy every win user with this f** pop-up ? Thanks so much for your tip; killing wuauclt (process sending the pop-up) has no effect; system restarts it automatically. Worse as a virus!
Written on 4/4/07 5:19 PM
Thank you so much for your tip! Other blogs have a solution that involves changing group settings and requires an restart. This is so much easier!
Thanks to users like you who teach us how to defeat Window's bad designs!
Written on 11/4/07 12:04 AM
Thanks to this I now have created a batch file that has this in it...
@echo off
sc stop wuauserv
I then created a shortcut and put it in my quick launch toolbar so now whenever that annoying thing appears it is just two clicks to kill it.
THANK YOU - This darned diaglog once managed to make me lose a large forum post when it appeared for the umteenth time and I hit the wrong button rushing it.
Written on 13/4/07 1:46 AM
recently this wont work for me, i now have end process on wuauclt.exe after running the stop command.
Written on 9/5/07 4:39 PM
Thanks so so so so sos oo much! I kept killing it with the task mgr, but that was pretty much pointless. And yes, this does work like a virus!
Not pausable... ignores shutdown. I see myself switching to a mac pretty soon!
Written on 10/5/07 3:52 PM
Just found this tip - thanks! I saw another solution in PC Mag or somewhere giving the registry entry that I can't find now but this will do just fine. Also created batch file and put in task bar. Allanf
Written on 6/9/07 2:50 PM