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Rebooting a Windows VPS is occasionally necessary after updates or configuration changes. This guide covers doing it safely, whether from within an active RDP session or remotely if the server becomes unresponsive.

Before You Reboot

• Check for a pending update requiring restart: Get-WURebootStatus (requires the PSWindowsUpdate module)
• Confirm any critical services (IIS, SQL Server) are set to start automatically
• Warn any other logged-in users if applicable

Rebooting via GUI

Start menu → Power → Restart.

Rebooting via PowerShell

Restart-Computer -Force

Rebooting via Command Prompt

shutdown /r /t 0

Scheduling a Delayed Reboot

shutdown /r /t 300

This reboots after a 300-second (5-minute) delay. Cancel it with:

shutdown /a

Reconnecting After Reboot

Your RDP session will disconnect during the reboot. Wait 1–2 minutes, then reconnect using the Remote Desktop Connection client as usual.

Verifying Services Started Correctly

Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.StartType -eq "Automatic" -and $_.Status -ne "Running"}

This lists any service set to auto-start that failed to actually start — investigate and restart individually if needed.

Confirming the Server Actually Rebooted

Get-ComputerInfo | Select CsSystemStartupTime

If the Server Doesn't Come Back Online

1. Wait several minutes — Windows Server updates can extend boot time significantly
2. Use your VPS provider's web-based console/VNC access to see the boot screen directly
3. Check for a stuck update installation or disk check running during boot
4. If genuinely unresponsive, use your provider's control panel to trigger a hard restart, as a last resort

Common Errors

RDP won't reconnect after several minutes — use console access to check if the server is stuck on a Windows Update "Configuring updates" screen, which can occasionally take much longer than expected.

A critical service didn't restart automatically — verify its startup type is set to Automatic, not Manual:

Set-Service -Name "W3SVC" -StartupType Automatic

Best Practices

• Schedule reboots during low-traffic maintenance windows
• Always verify critical services after every reboot
• Take a snapshot/backup before rebooting after major configuration changes

Related Articles

• How to Install Windows Updates on a Windows VPS
• Windows Server Security Checklist for a New VPS
• How to Set Up Automated Backups on a Windows VPS