Prevent applications from restarting XP

Sir Fredrick

Guest
Oct 14, 1999
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Is there any way to prevent applications from restarting WinXP?

I really hate when an app updates and then restarts my machine without my permission.

Anyone have any way to stop this?
 

TGS

Golden Member
May 3, 2005
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start>run>cmd>regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

That will be were programs normally hook into for automatic startup. Other programs may hook in through other mechanisms. What are you trying to stop?
 

Sir Fredrick

Guest
Oct 14, 1999
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I'm not trying to keep them from starting, I trying to keep them from restarting (rebooting) my machine.

It's not really any app in particular, it's various ones. Like those installations that say you must reboot your computer and then go and reboot without your permission, closing all your apps on you. That's highly annoying for me because I'm a major multitasker, and if I have to reboot, I'll reboot when *I* am ready, not when their stupid app thinks I should.
 

Raduque

Lifer
Aug 22, 2004
13,140
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he's not talking about automatic startup. He's talking about programs that reset the computer during setup or an update, with no way to stop the reset.
It's really frickin' annoying and I wish I knew how to stop it too.
 

cubby1223

Lifer
May 24, 2004
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Well the obvious answer would be don't install software while working on some other critical work. It's not like you don't know ahead of time you'll likely be rebooting the machine.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
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It's necessary sometimes to install an app before you complete some other pending work. I find it extremely annoying as well. Most applications will warn you and give you an option, but it's unforgivable that there are exceptions to this. I remember an Adobe Reader update which restarts the computer without any prompt whatsoever.

Windows should be modified to have a fail-safe restart prompt that appears when an application tries to initiate a system restart.

Title:
"Warning - Application Restart"

Message:
"An application is trying to restart the computer. If you want to allow this, close and save any open work and click Continue. Otherwise, click Cancel to continue working with the computer."

Option:
[ - ] In the future, do not show this warning.

[Cancel] [Continue]
 

Sir Fredrick

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Oct 14, 1999
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Your "obvious answer" isn't always workable.

Also, windows automatic update is guilty of this too. It has rebooted my machine without my permission, without my knowledge that it was even doing the updates. Needless to say, I've turned that off.

Here's what prompted me to make this post: while working on an application and doing research in firefox with about 10 pages open, I stopped briefly because my diamond rio software said an update was available, and I let it update. When it was done, it rebooted my computer. I had to go back and dig through my history to find the stuff I was reading, which is highly annoying. I did get to save my source code before it killed it on me, fortunately...but there really should be a way to avoid this catastrophe.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
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Though I have experienced this problem with other apps, I have never had an official Microsoft update restart my computer without prompting.
 

Sir Fredrick

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Oct 14, 1999
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I hadn't either, but it did it twice. Or rather, I left and came back the next day and my computer had been restarted. I don't remember if I figured it out then or if I didn't figure it out until next time, but a baloon in the systray on the auto update icon said updates had been downloaded and my computer would restart at 4:00am
 

imported_Ares

Junior Member
Apr 19, 2005
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It happened to me too. What made it worse for me was that I was downloading American Army at night using IE (eh, FilePlanet), at morning I found out that the PC was restarted and AA's file was corrupted.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
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For now, tell Windows to automatically download but not install updates. You should find the option on the Control Panel.
 

sjgmoney

Senior member
Apr 28, 2004
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Originally posted by: Ichinisan
For now, tell Windows to automatically download but not install updates. You should find the option on the Control Panel.

What he said. Twice. Use this option and take back control.
 

Sir Fredrick

Guest
Oct 14, 1999
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I have already done this. However, the problem of other apps being allowed to reboot my computer without my permission remains.
 

Smilin

Diamond Member
Mar 4, 2002
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How about a healthy dose of STFU?

If you don't want something restarting your computer at a particular time, don't frickin install something at that time. Super happy fun brilliant genius idea huh??

If you don't want Windows Update restarting your computer overnight, turn off the install-automatically option.

Typically when something *requires* a reboot you want it to. If you swap out system files you'll end up with some updated versions on disk and older versions in memory. You're just asking for a dll entry point error. You're coming here asking people to help you "disable" this "feature" when what you are really asking is for someone to help you load the gun so you can shoot yourself in the foot.

Use a little common sense.
 

rbrandon

Banned
Oct 10, 2002
423
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Originally posted by: Smilin
How about a healthy dose of STFU?

If you don't want something restarting your computer at a particular time, don't frickin install something at that time. Super happy fun brilliant genius idea huh??

If you don't want Windows Update restarting your computer overnight, turn off the install-automatically option.

Typically when something *requires* a reboot you want it to. If you swap out system files you'll end up with some updated versions on disk and older versions in memory. You're just asking for a dll entry point error. You're coming here asking people to help you "disable" this "feature" when what you are really asking is for someone to help you load the gun so you can shoot yourself in the foot.

Use a little common sense.



Complete and utter ownage. :thumbsup:
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
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Files that are in use cannot be replaced. They will be replaced during the restart before they are loaded into memory. It's going to happen anyway, so there's no reason to force an immediate restart assuming that the user doesn't have any pending work. I've seen many an app that wants to restart the computer even when it is completely unneccesary.
 

Sir Fredrick

Guest
Oct 14, 1999
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Calm down and stop being an ass. If you're not going to be helpful, then why the hell are you here? STFU yourself.

99% of the time, when an application claims that your computer needs to be rebooted, it is wholly unnecessary.

Even when MS says there's a mega super ultra nasty security hole that my computer must be rebooted in order to fix, it should still be my discression to do so. I am behind a firewall, and perhaps not browsing the internet at that given time, or using firefox, or perhaps just willing to take my chances. If I screw up my computer by not taking their advice, I am willing to accept the consequences. This has never happened.

If an application reboots my machine while I'm in the middle of doing something else, that has more or less the same effect on me as my computer crashing. Therefore, given the two options, I would prefer to take my chances with the possibility of crashing.

In fact, in the 16 years that I have been computing, I have *never* had my computer crash or files corrupt as a result of not rebooting when I was told to. NOT ONCE.

The fact remains that it is *my* computer and *I* should be able to control everything that it does, even if someone else thinks that's stupid.

I also happen to be a multitasker, and I work on several projects at once. That means that sometimes I must install an application or do some sort of upgrade while I am doing other things as well. It's why my productivity is so high, and why I am such a valuable employee.

Originally posted by: Smilin
How about a healthy dose of STFU?

If you don't want something restarting your computer at a particular time, don't frickin install something at that time. Super happy fun brilliant genius idea huh??

If you don't want Windows Update restarting your computer overnight, turn off the install-automatically option.

Typically when something *requires* a reboot you want it to. If you swap out system files you'll end up with some updated versions on disk and older versions in memory. You're just asking for a dll entry point error. You're coming here asking people to help you "disable" this "feature" when what you are really asking is for someone to help you load the gun so you can shoot yourself in the foot.

Use a little common sense.

 

Smilin

Diamond Member
Mar 4, 2002
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Originally posted by: Ichinisan
Files that are in use cannot be replaced. They will be replaced during the restart before they are loaded into memory. It's going to happen anyway, so there's no reason to force an immediate restart assuming that the user doesn't have any pending work. I've seen many an app that wants to restart the computer even when it is completely unneccesary.

Files in use *can* be replaced. Files with open handles cannot. That's what your PendingFileRename key is for so smss replaces the file next boot. The files that are simply loaded in memory can be replaced on disk. If a dependent file is unloaded and reloaded you can end up with mismatched files in a running state which is never supposed to happen.

I'm not talking about "reboot for changes to take effect" I'm talking about "must reboot". Although application installations often do not need an immediate reboot to maintain system stability (and they give you an option to reboot later), Windows updates that request a reboot DO require a reboot. If they don't they won't ask. If you are curious why something requres a reboot, check the Windows\kb*.log file to see.

If you want to leave your system running after applying an update that's your business. It's a stupid thing to do, but hey this is a stupid post.

The real solution to all of this is what I posted earlier:

If you don't want to reboot, why did you install something that required a reboot? Everyone else here seems to get it.
 

Sir Fredrick

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Oct 14, 1999
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Originally posted by: Smilin
If you don't want to reboot, why did you install something that required a reboot? Everyone else here seems to get it.

Because things that require a reboot often don't tell you they will require a reboot until after the fact.

The particular problem I ran into, as I mentioned earlier, involved updating an MP3 player's software. Something not critical to the operation of the machine, yet it required a reboot, without giving me the option to cancel.

I have seen other people complain about such behavior, some even here, so not everyone "gets it."

Some of us do important things on our machines and cannot afford to reboot them whenever an application feels like this should happen.
 

Smilin

Diamond Member
Mar 4, 2002
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Originally posted by: Sir Fredrick
Originally posted by: Smilin
If you don't want to reboot, why did you install something that required a reboot? Everyone else here seems to get it.

Because things that require a reboot often don't tell you they will require a reboot until after the fact.

Shenanigans.

You were just clicking "next" too fast and ignoring some "close all applications before you begin" message.

If you truly have something rebooting your computer without warning maybe you should reconsider what crap you are installing on your system rather than trying to reconfigure your OS to remove a safety valve.

meh, whatever. I'll leave you to your considerable efforts trying to fix this and stop crapping your thread. Good luck.
 

Sir Fredrick

Guest
Oct 14, 1999
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Every application install wizard tells you to close all applications before you begin whether it's necessary or not (haven't found a case where it was necessary yet), and whether it intends to reboot your computer when it's done or not.

I'll leave you to your considerable efforts trying to fix this and stop crapping your thread. Good luck.

That's the most helpful thing you've said yet! goodbye.

While you were busy calling me a moron, I figured it out. If anyone is interested in the solution, lrespond.

 

dclive

Elite Member
Oct 23, 2003
5,626
2
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Originally posted by: Sir Fredrick
Every application install wizard tells you to close all applications before you begin whether it's necessary or not (haven't found a case where it was necessary yet), and whether it intends to reboot your computer when it's done or not.

I'll leave you to your considerable efforts trying to fix this and stop crapping your thread. Good luck.

That's the most helpful thing you've said yet! goodbye.

While you were busy calling me a moron, I figured it out. If anyone is interested in the solution, lrespond.

I've never seen this problem, so I'm curious how to replicate it. As Smilin said, all the apps I've seen have a final dialog box that essentially states 'I need to reboot your PC now, press OK to continue" or somesuch.

So, tell us how to replicate the problem.

shutdown -a will abort a shutdown timer, but I really doubt that's what you're seeing, so I'm curious how you'd avoid it.