Except it will tell you and you can say no. On Windows, you can only extend the actual reboot, sometimes, and that within 30 seconds. If you go for a pee, you might return to a rebooting machine.

Sounds like you need to specify your active hours. See these settings in the Windows Update settings panel:

http://imgur.com/VfcdIEd

It's unfortunate that a user needs to find such an option. It's likely that the location and UI of the option will be changed yet again each release.

MS "needs" (?) to prioritize "don't torment your users". Of course, for corporate captives, they can torment away with impunity since The Management has already decided You Must Endure... (and probably locked out the setting in question, as well)

>MS "needs" (?) to prioritize "don't torment your users".

No, no they don't.

If the user knows what they're doing, they run Windows Update manually at times when it's convenient for them (e.g. just before going out to lunch) so that they never encounter a forced reboot situation.

If the user doesn't know what they're doing, they exactly the people who need to be forced to the latest update so they don't wind up inadvertently joining a botnet.

And, of course, there are ways to forcibly disable WU for really advanced users but at that point whatever befalls them is quite clearly their own responsibility.

So, win-win for everybody but the malware makers.

You're right, they don't :-(

Like IBM and Oracle, MS is in the position of "Management says we've already won, so suck it, users!"

OTOH - "I can put whatever I want on my phone, so suck it, Microsoft!"

Payback ... and all :-)

I've noticed since the big update (Anniversary Update), the default setting is a sane "after hours" range of 9pm to 7am on a fresh installation. So, it seems they are improving and are attempting to avoid situations where you're at work in the middle of the day, step away for coffee, and come back to find an update/reboot cycle has wiped out your hard work. I was pointing out the setting for the OP because either he hasn't updated far enough to get the sane default, or he's somehow changed it without knowing and needs to fix it.

Well, that's a lot better than the nagware that used to run during our first-thing-in-the-morning calls 3 or 4 years ago. Hopefully corporate IT doesn't screw it up (of course looking it down, fully screwed).

I still like the Mac's unobtrusive "get it tonight after I shut down" option, though :-) (or Ubuntu's "I'll get it when I'm good and ready", but that's not a system for worker bees)