Windows Security Updates: Notifications and Restarts

Per ITS standards, keeping Windows up to date with all critical security updates is required to keep your PC connected to the University network. ITS pushes the updates to university-owned computers but action is needed by the user to ensure updates are fully installed.

To fully install the security updates, you must restart your computer. A shutdown and then power on will not fully install security updates. More information on the difference is here.

To ensure your PC maintains compliance with this policy, ITS recommends the following:

Restart your PC as soon as possible following the appearance of the restart reminder window.
Restart your PC on a weekly basis to keep your PC operating efficiently.

In an effort to reduce work interruption, ITS is implementing a new process to reduce the workday impacts of Windows security updates installation.

Going forward, your PC will no longer restart as soon as the installation of monthly Microsoft security updates has completed. You will still see a notification informing you of the need to restart your PC, but that restart will not be forced as a result of the completion of patch installation. If you do not restart your University-owned computer for 2 weeks after the security updates were released, ITS will begin a countdown to restart.

Notification of the need to restart, countdown to restart not implemented

Note the lack of a timer bar on the new notification window. When you see this style of notification window your PC will not restart without you choosing to do so.

A restart is Still required to complete the update installation. Shutting down your PC does not fulfill this requirement. The restart notification window will continue to remind you on a regular basis until a restart has been performed. If you do not restart your University-owned computer for 2 weeks after the security updates were released, ITS will begin a countdown to restart.

Notification Window after Countdown to Restart is implemented

If you see this window, the computer will restart automatically when the countdown is complete. You can choose to restart sooner by clicking on the restart button in the window. Clicking on the snooze button only dismisses the notification window, it will not delay the restart itself.