Weekend Gadget Guidance: Prevent auto Windows shutdown, reboot

Has Windows rebooted while you were in the middle of doing something else?

If you install software on a regular basis and get rebooted on without asking, ShutdownGuard could be a useful little utility for you.

The free application addresses the problem by preventing Windows from automatically shutting down, rebooting, or logging off without confirmation. Each time it prevents a shutdown action, you'll see an alert in your system tray asking if you really want to shutdown. If you do, click the alert; if not, no worries.

Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't give your Windows machine a break and give it a restart once in awhile -- especially for security patches. But this handy utility at least gives you a bit more choice. [via; via]