Quick overview:
Windows 8.1 has been on the market for less than a year. Updates are therefore much more frequent than with previous versions of the operating system. In principle, there would be nothing wrong with this if it didn't require an annoying restart. If this happens automatically, a document that has just been edited can be lost in the worst case scenario. With the right configuration, these restarts can be prevented.
Manual installation of updates prevents restart
To prevent the automatic installation of updates, simply press "Windows + W". This key combination opens the input field for the Windows settings search. After entering the search term "Enable disable updates", the relevant settings dialog is displayed. Select "Deactivate updates". With this configuration, updates will no longer be downloaded and installed at all - which is not advisable for security reasons. For this reason, you should switch to the Control Panel window, where you will find the "Important updates" entry. Select the setting "Download updates, but install manually" and check the box for "Recommended updates". With this setting, a message now appears when new updates are available. The advantage is that only the download takes place automatically, but you determine the time of installation yourself. This allows you to install the updates with just a few mouse clicks when you no longer want to use the computer anyway.
Automatic restart can be prevented
If you have Windows 8.1 version Pro or even Enterprise, you can also have the updates installed automatically and only need to agree to restart the system. To do this, open the input field for commands that are to be executed directly by pressing "Windows+R". Then enter "gpedit.msc" in the field. In the editor, follow the following path under the local group settings: "Computer Configuration>Administrative Templates>Windows Components>Windows Update". There you can activate the option "Do not perform an automatic restart for scheduled installations of automatic updates". With this setting, messages for updates are still displayed, but the dialog for restarting changes: Instead of having to actively postpone the restart by making the appropriate selection, you now have to actively agree to a restart - which in turn means that settings or documents that have not been saved cannot be lost. This setting has considerable advantages, especially if your PC is frequently left unattended.
Conclusion: With the wrong setting, updates can cost nerves
Restarting Windows is annoying because installing many updates can take time. Above all, it can also cause a lot of trouble: If you have opened documents in Office and have not backed them up, you have to rely on the software's restore function. In practice, however, it is not uncommon for some work to be in vain. Better: simply deactivate the automatic shutdown.
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Many thanks for this tip!
If you install large downloaded update packs (e.g. from winfuture.de) for Win 8.1, it can happen that individual updates are not installed correctly due to the sudden shutdown, which makes the system unstable! Re-installation unavoidable 🙁
I had to sit next to it and quickly reset the PC clock so that the shutdown would not be forcibly triggered in the next 15 minutes. I really don't know what Redmond were thinking.
I still use Win 8.1 alongside Win 10 and Linux Mint because of old hardware. I plan to use Windows 8.1 only virtualized in late summer.