Prevent Windows 10 from automatically restarting after an update programmatically

Question

QUESTION: Is there a programmatic way to prevent Windows 10 from automatically restarting after an update?

We work on \"mission-critical\" software

Answer 1

The registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings contains two entries: ActiveHoursStart and ActiveHoursEnd. Change these entries as needed inside your program to prohibit a reboot. This way you can control the reboot not to take place while your program runs. Note that you need elevated privilege to change these settings.