How does Automatic Updates know I need to reboot?

All,

I'd like to use the "please reboot" functionality of the Windows Upadate
Automatic Updates service as part of a script I've written. Is there any way
to "tell" wuauserv that the computer needs to be rebooted? A registry key
change, or wuauserv command, for example?

- John

John,

Do a search for what's required to offer/force a reboot on MSDN:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx

The reboot mechanism is not related to wuauserv, rather the installation
of a file that's in use that can not be replaced until the system is
restarted.

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


John Straffin wrote:

> All,
>
> I'd like to use the "please reboot" functionality of the Windows Upadate
> Automatic Updates service as part of a script I've written. Is there any way
> to "tell" wuauserv that the computer needs to be rebooted? A registry key
> change, or wuauserv command, for example?
>
> - John

"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:
> Do a search for what's required to offer/force a reboot on MSDN:
> http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx
>
> The reboot mechanism is not related to wuauserv, rather the installation
> of a file that's in use that can not be replaced until the system is
> restarted.

That's not quite the "reboot mechanism" I was looking for. I've made changes
to the user's computer that require a restart to take effect, but the user is
actively using the PC and I *can't* force them to stop what they're doing and
restart *now* (well, I *can*, but I may not.) Rather than re-inventing the
wheel, I was hoping to use the already-existing mechanism in wuauserv to bug
the user every however long to "please reboot". I've seen vbscripts to effect
a similar result, but I was hoping to find a magic reg key to flip from 0 to
1, or a wuauserv command to set off the restart message.