Computer Won’t Shut Down? Here’re 8 Ways To Fix It

After you end using your pc, it’s a standard follow to close it down as a substitute of letting it sit idle. However, there could also be sure conditions the place you received’t have the ability to shut down the system, or it routinely begins once more. In most situations, it is best to have the ability to restart your system. However, in uncommon circumstances, even restarting will not be attainable.

This problem principally occurs due to a damaged update when the processes concerned in shut-down and wake-up procedures battle with the brand new system. But some third-party applications might also trigger related conflicts.

Use Shutdown Command or Force Shutdown

If you possibly can’t get your pc to close down the traditional manner, first strive shutting it down via the Run utility. 

1. Open Run by urgent Windows key + R.
2. Type shutdown /s /t 0 and press Enter.
   

You may also strive forcefully shutting down the system by urgent and holding on to the facility button for 3 seconds.

However, this may occasionally not care for the underlying motive in your downside. So you continue to have to carry out the successive options to correctly resolve it. In truth, compelled shutdowns can adversely have an effect on your system as your pc can’t cease all ongoing processes correctly.

Change Device’s Power Management Options

Your system consists of sure energy administration settings that permit units plugged into the USB or Ethernet ports or different parts like Intel Management Engine Interface to wake the pc from sleep.

In some earlier Windows variations, these settings prevented the pc from shutting down because of bugs within the OS software program. While Microsoft has already resolved such points, there’s no certainty that this problem received’t happen once more sooner or later. So, it is best to disable all such choices and see if you happen to can shut down the pc.

1. Open Run by urgent Win + R.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to launch the Device Manager.
3. Expand Network adapters and double-click in your LAN, Ethernet, or Family Controller device.
   
4. Go to the Power Management tab.
5. Untick all of the choices and click on OK.
   
6. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
7. Double-click on every USB Hub and carry out the identical motion within the Power Management tab.
8. If you could have an Intel CPU, broaden System Devices. Double-click on Intel Management Engine Interface and do the identical right here as properly.
   

You may also strive disabling the ‘Wake on’ options in your BIOS settings.

Turn Off Fast Startup

Like with the Power Management problem, there was additionally one other bug in a earlier Windows model that brought about this problem each time Fast Startup was on. So, much like the above case, you possibly can nonetheless disable this selection and test in case your pc shuts down.

1. Open Run.
2. Type powercfg.cpl and press Enter to open Power Options.
3. Click on Choose what the facility buttons do after which Change settings which might be at the moment unavailable.
4. Uncheck Turn on quick startup and click on Save adjustments.
   

Update Windows

Since we already talked about that update bugs had been the most typical causes of the problem, it’s good to be sure to have the most recent Windows model. So, it is best to frequently test for updates and set up them as quickly as they’re obtainable.

1. Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Windows Update or Update and Security > Windows Update.
3. Click Check for updates to search for new updates and Install now to put in them.
   

Troubleshoot in Clean Boot Mode

Windows 8 had a problem the place some third-party apps had been stopping the pc from shutting down. You can test for such conflicting apps even within the newer Windows variations.

1. Open Run.
2. Type msconfig and press Enter to open System Configuration.
3. Go to the Services tab.
4. Check Hide all Microsoft Services and click on Disable all.
   
5. Hit Apply. Then, go to the Startup tab.
6. Click Open Task Manager.
7. On the Task Manager, select every Enabled program and choose Disable.
   

Then, restart your PC and take a look at shutting it down after that. If you might be profitable, some apps are undoubtedly conflicting with the shutdown course of. Now, it’s good to discover these applications.

1. Power up the pc once more and return to System Configuration.
2. On the Services tab, allow the primary service, and click on Apply.
3. Restart your PC and see if you happen to can shut it down.
4. If sure, open System Configuration once more and allow one other service.
5. If you possibly can’t shut down your pc after enabling a sure service, disable it and proceed with the troubleshooting.
6. After you might be completed with the providers, do the identical in your Startup Apps via the Task Manager.

Note: If you could have many third-party providers, it’ll take lots of time to individually allow every service. So, you possibly can strive enabling a bunch of providers directly and if the pc can’t shut down, strive searching for the perpetrator inside the providers you simply enabled.

After figuring out this system accountable for the battle, you possibly can keep its service or course of disabled or uninstall the appliance altogether to resolve the problem.

Unplug Connected Powered Devices

If you might be using externally powered units like an HDMI change or hub in your pc, some parts just like the LEDs inside your pc will likely be on on a regular basis if the change/hub is on. In such circumstances, you could assume that the pc is on as properly though it’s not so.

But having these LEDs on just isn’t beneficial, so it’s higher to unplug the powered units or flip them off.

Reset BIOS

If you put in new {hardware} or used some system-controlling apps (that change your {hardware} configuration) lately, conflicts can come up between the BIOS and your system. In some circumstances, you may additionally be unable to correctly shut down or restart your pc. Sometimes, a damaged update may also make undesirable adjustments to the BIOS configuration, resulting in this problem.

In all these conditions, it’s good to reset your BIOS to resolve the problem. Accessing the BIOS interface after which loading the default choices will reset the BIOS. However, we advocate eradicating and reinserting the CMOS battery or using the CMOS_Reset jumper for a more full reset.

Additionally, in case your present BIOS model doesn’t help the brand new {hardware}, you could have to update your BIOS if you happen to keep encountering related points. And typically, you may additionally want to revive a system image or reinstall Windows after resetting the BIOS.

Reinstall Windows

Your ultimate possibility if all earlier strategies don’t work is to carry out a system image recovery or reinstall Windows. If you had created a system image backup on the time when this error was not occurring, you may strive restoring your system to this image.

Otherwise, it’s important to reinstall Windows. You can even have to reinstall Windows if restoring your system to the backup image doesn’t assist resolve the shutdown error.

1. If you don’t have an set up disk, it’s good to create it first.
   • Insert a USB flash drive with at the least 8GB capability into your PC.
   • Go to Microsoft’s Software Download Platform and choose your Windows model.
   • Click Download Now beneath Create Installation Media.
     
   • Open this system after downloading it, after which accept the phrases.
   • Check Create set up media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for an additional PC and choose Next.
   • Check Use beneficial choices for this PC and go to Next.
     
   • Tick the USB flash drive and click on Next.
   • Pick the USB drive you inserted earlier and choose Next > Finish.
2. Then, boot using this USB flash drive. For trendy computer systems with a GPT partition or UEFI system, you’ll get a option to press a sure key besides from the USB drive.
   For older Legacy BIOS techniques, you could have to go to the BIOS after which set the USB drive as the very best boot precedence.
3. Choose your language preferences and choose Next.
4. Click Install now.
   
5. Enter your product key and click on Next. 
6. If you don’t have a key or want to use it afterward, choose I don’t have a product key. Then, choose your Windows construct and select Next.
7. Accept the license agreements and click on Next.
8. Select Custom: Install Windows solely.
   
9. Select your OS partition and click on Next.
10. Follow the on-screen directions.
11. After reinstalling, undergo the preliminary setup course of to create an account and specify the privacy settings. 

Then, see if you happen to can shut down your system. You might want to update Windows to the most recent steady model and set up the most recent drivers in your pc as properly.

Reinstalling Windows on this manner creates a Windows.previous folder that accommodates the Windows, Program Files, and Users folder of your earlier OS software program. So you possibly can restore any vital knowledge to your new system.