RebootGuard

01Overview

Windows restarting itself overnight is normally fine, but not if you've left something running. RebootGuard postpones those restarts for as long as you ask, up to a maximum, and then gets out of the way.

• Updates still install. Only the restart is postponed. Nothing about your security protection is switched off.
• Holds end by themselves. If you forget to release a hold, it expires and normal restarts resume. You can't accidentally block updates forever.
• No admin rights needed. Any normal user can place a hold.
• Every hold is logged, so IT can see restarts are being managed deliberately.

Requirements

• Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016 or later.
• Windows PowerShell 5.1 (included with Windows).
• Administrator rights to install; a standard user account is enough to place and release holds.

02Download and install

RebootGuard is free. It ships as one self-contained installer file.

1. Download RebootGuard-Setup.cmd using the link above.
2. Double-click RebootGuard-Setup.cmd. Your browser or Windows SmartScreen may warn about a downloaded .cmd file; choose to keep and run it.
3. Approve the administrator prompt. Installing needs admin rights once; using RebootGuard afterwards does not. The installer puts RebootGuard in place, creates the shortcuts and cleans up after itself. Nothing else needs to be downloaded.
4. After installation you'll have a Restart control icon in the notification area (bottom-right of the screen) and a RebootGuard shortcut on your desktop. The tray icon starts automatically each time you sign in.

Uninstalling

Run the same installer with the -Uninstall option from a command prompt in the folder where you saved it:

RebootGuard-Setup.cmd -Uninstall

Licence

RebootGuard is free for personal, business and government use. It may not be sold or rebranded.

Support RebootGuard

If RebootGuard saved a render, a backup or an overnight job, you can help fund future development: Support RebootGuard. It's entirely optional.

03The short version

1. Find the Restart control icon in the notification area, bottom-right of your screen. Click the ^ arrow if you don't see it.
2. Click it.
3. Pick how long you need.
4. When your work is finished, click Finished — allow restarts again.

That's the whole thing.

04Using the tray icon

The tray icon is the fastest way to place a hold.

• Right-click the Restart control icon and pick a duration straight from the menu.
• Hover over it to see whether a hold is already active and how much time is left.
• Left-click it to open the RebootGuard window.

The icon changes while a hold is in place, so you can tell at a glance.

05Using the window

The window gives you more options. Open it by left-clicking the tray icon, or by double-clicking the RebootGuard shortcut on your desktop.

The window shows:

• Whether restarts are currently postponed, until when, and who set the hold.
• Quick buttons for common lengths: hours on the top row, days below.
• A box to type your own amount, with an hours/days dropdown.
• A "what are you running" box. It's optional, but please fill it in. It's recorded with the hold.

Setting an exact amount

1. Open the window.
2. Enter a number in the entry box.
3. Pick hours or days from the dropdown.
4. Optionally describe what you're running.
5. Click Set.

06Hours or days?

Pick the shortest time that covers you.

The maximum hold

There is a maximum hold length, and the window shows it next to the entry box. If you ask for longer, RebootGuard quietly shortens the hold to the maximum and tells you.

07If it warns you a restart is coming

When you open the window, RebootGuard checks whether a restart is already on its way and tells you before you start work.

"Updates are waiting"

Updates have downloaded and this PC will restart at the next maintenance check to finish them.

• If you're about to start something long, say Yes to restarting now and get it out of the way. That's far better than being interrupted six hours in.
• Say No and place a hold if you'd rather deal with it later.

"This PC is ALREADY restarting"

A restart is counting down right now.

Neither warning appears if you already have a hold in place. You've already decided, so it won't nag.

08When you're finished

Click Finished — allow restarts again.

09How holds work

Expiry

Every hold has an end time. When it passes, normal restarts resume on their own. You can't accidentally block updates forever.

Warning before a hold lapses

A notification appears shortly before your hold ends, so a long job doesn't get caught out by a silent expiry.

Extending a hold

Click another duration at any time, before or after the current hold runs out. Each click starts the clock again from that moment.

What is and isn't postponed

Only the restart waits. Updates still download and install, and nothing about your security protection is turned off.

10Hold history and logging

Every hold and release is recorded with the user's name, the time and the reason typed in the "what are you running" box. The window also shows who set the current hold.

This isn't to catch anyone out. It lets IT see that restarts are being managed deliberately rather than dodged, which is something auditors ask about.

11For IT administrators

Inspecting the installer

RebootGuard-Setup.cmd is a single self-contained installer. If you want to review what it contains before deploying it, run it with the /EXTRACT switch from a command prompt instead of installing:

RebootGuard-Setup.cmd /EXTRACT

This unpacks the files into a folder beside the installer and installs nothing. Extracting and inspecting needs no administrator rights.

Installer options

The installer accepts options on the command line, for example to set the maximum hold length and the quick-hold choices:

RebootGuard-Setup.cmd -MaxHoldHours 120 -QuickHoldDays 1,3,5

Hold folder permissions

Users need write access to the hold folder to place a hold. If a user sees "Could not set the hold", it is a permissions fix on your side, not something they did wrong.

Limits and enforcement

• Holds are capped at a maximum length, shown to users next to the entry box. Requests above it are shortened automatically.
• If updates have been pending too long, an enforced limit can still cause a restart even while a hold is active. The logs show which of these applied.

Auditing

Each hold and release is logged with user, time and stated reason, giving you a record that restart postponements were deliberate.

12Troubleshooting and FAQ

There's no tray icon

Check the ^ arrow at the left of the clock first. Windows hides icons it hasn't seen before, so it's probably sitting in there rather than missing. Drag it out onto the taskbar and it will stay put.

If it genuinely isn't there: it starts automatically at sign-in, so signing out and back in usually brings it back. In the meantime, use the RebootGuard shortcut on your desktop, which does exactly the same thing. If it keeps happening, tell IT.

"Could not set the hold"

You may not have write access to the hold folder. Tell IT. It's a permissions fix, not something you did.

My PC restarted anyway

Either the hold had already expired, or updates had been pending too long and the enforced limit kicked in. The logs will say which. Also remember that a hold placed while a restart is already counting down won't stop it (see "This PC is ALREADY restarting").

I need longer than the maximum

That limit is set deliberately. Ask IT rather than working around it.

Do I need admin rights?

No. Any normal user can place and release a hold.

Does a hold turn off updates or security?

No. Updates still install; only the restart is postponed.

What if I forget to release my hold?

It expires on its own and normal restarts resume. You'll get a notification shortly before it ends.

Is it really free?

Yes, for personal, business and government use. It may not be sold or rebranded.

13Quick reference

14Getting help

Questions, bug reports or feature requests: email info@taucher.llc. You'll reach the people who wrote the software.