I have a Windows 11 PC that runs Google Chrome almost continuously in full-screen, kiosk-like mode for a dedicated display or application. A browser update or restart during the workweek would interrupt its purpose, so I'd like to define a maintenance window instead.
Ideally, Chrome would operate normally without updating or restarting during weekdays, then be allowed to check for and install updates during a weekend window. Afterward, the weekday restrictions should be restored automatically. I'm open to using Chrome Enterprise policies, Group Policy, registry settings, scheduled tasks, PowerShell, or controls for the Google Update services.
The goal isn't to keep Chrome permanently outdated—security updates are important—but to control when updates and any required restart occur on this always-on kiosk machine.
3 Answers
The Chrome policies can get fairly close to this setup. You can configure daily periods during which updates should not be checked for or applied, and you can optionally pin Chrome to a major version to reduce feature-version changes.
There are limitations: a daily blocked period isn’t exactly the same as a weekly weekday-only schedule, and some urgent security updates may still be handled outside the preferred window. For that reason, the built-in policies are a good starting point, while direct task or service scheduling may be needed when the timing has to be exact.
Chrome Enterprise policies are the cleaner set-and-forget option. The Google Update policy settings can be configured through Group Policy or the corresponding registry policy location under HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesGoogleUpdate. Chrome’s administrative templates include update-check intervals and other update controls, and a separate scheduled task or PowerShell script can handle a planned browser or system restart if needed.
You could also use an endpoint-management or package-management tool to schedule the update, although that may be more infrastructure than one kiosk requires.
For a dedicated kiosk, you can create scheduled PowerShell tasks that control the Google Update services and scheduled tasks. For example, a weekday task could disable the Google Update tasks, such as GoogleUpdateTaskMachineCore and GoogleUpdateTaskMachineUA, and set the gupdate and gupdatem services to Disabled. A weekend maintenance task could restore the service to Manual, trigger an update check, allow time for installation, and then reboot the machine during the approved window. The weekday task would disable the update triggers again before normal operation resumes.
A planned reboot is often useful for kiosk systems because it ensures the updated browser starts cleanly and can also clear accumulated memory or application issues. Test the exact service names, task paths, installation location, and permissions on the specific machine before deploying this widely.
That approach gives the most precise control over the maintenance window, especially when an unexpected browser restart during operating hours isn’t acceptable.
Using the administrative templates is convenient because the policy remains documented and centrally manageable instead of relying only on scripts.