Setting active hours is a handy Windows 11 solution to prevent automatic reboots during your work hours or when you have something important to do. May the performances not make your day bitter.
Keeping your operating system up to date is crucial to ensure the security and optimal performance of your computer. However, installing Windows 11 updates often requires a system reboot, which can result in annoying interruptions during work sessions, or just when you need your computer urgently. They always occur at the wrong time.
Fortunately, the Microsoft system offers a practical solution to this problem: configure active hours to define specific hours and schedule or postpone the installation of a new update to avoid sudden reboots.
When it’s time to install a new version of Windows, the necessary restart can interrupt your activities, which can lead to data loss, delays, and lots and lots of frustration.
Learning how to set active hours on your Windows 11 computer is easy. There are several ways to do it, we will explain the steps to follow, including how to access the settings, find the necessary option and adjust the time period that best suits your needs.
Configure active hours from System Settings
The easiest and most practical way to configure the active hours in Windows 11 is through the Settings app. Through this method you will find a series of options available to manage the installation of updates.
By setting this option, you tell the system when you are busiest and want to avoid interruptions. Follow the steps below:
On the keyboard press the keys Win + I to open the Setting. In the left side menu you must navigate to the tab Windows Update. Select the option Advanced Options. In the section active hours click the dropdown menu and change Automatically a manually o according to your preferences. In the fields you can set the start time and the end time, this means that they are the hours during which you are outside of working hours. 
Configure active hours with Group Policy
Another method that is perhaps the least known and, therefore, the least used, is configure active hours using group policy. Although this section is used to manage advanced Windows settings, it is also possible to set specific times to restart the system.
An important point to mention is that this procedure is only available for those computers with Windows Professional, Education and Enterprise versions. So if you are a Windows Home user you should avoid this method.
On the keyboard press the keys Win + R to open the box Execute. In the box write gpedit.msc and click the button Accept. In the left menu navigate until you find Settings / Administrative Templates / Windows Components / Windows Update. open the option Disable auto restart to update during active hours. If you enable the policy, you can set the start and end times of the active hours. 
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Configure active hours through the Registry
The third and final method of scheduling or postponing system reboots after Windows Updates is through the Registry. This method is not recommended and should only be used when Group Policy cannot be configured or from the Settings app.
This means that it is the last resort available, but not having knowledge or doing a bad configuration can cause your computer to stop working. So if you choose this method you do it at your own risk, we do not recommend it.
On the taskbar select the Windows icon to access the search menu. Writes Registry Editorselect and press Enter. In the left side menu select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / WindowsUpdate / UX / Settings. Double click on ActiveHoursStart. In the countryside Edit DWORD value enter the desired value for the start time of the active hours in a 24-hour format and click the button Accept. Now you must select ActiveHoursEnd and repeat the above process to set the end time. 
Setting active hours in Windows is an effective solution to avoid untimely interruptions caused by automatic restarts during working hours.
Once you’ve set specific hours using any of the above methods, the system will honor your preference and schedule updates to not occur during the period you’ve set.
This provides greater peace of mind, as well as allowing you to stay productive at all times. By following these key points, you will be able to customize and optimize the active hours settings according to your work needs..
Windows 11 introduces several new features to system settings, giving you more choice and control over your experience. You can easily adjust notifications, active hours, dark mode and other settings to minimize distractions, this is part of the new features that Microsoft integrates into its operating system.
