How to Fix Windows Shutdown Problems

Make sure you don't have multiple third-party antivirus programs installed., Close any open programs., Remove any attached devices., Update your computer., Disable your PC's wireless connections before shutting down., Open Start ., Scroll down and...

57 Steps 6 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Make sure you don't have multiple third-party antivirus programs installed.

    Any antivirus program other than Windows Defender is technically a third-party program.

    Having more than one third-party antivirus program running simultaneously can prevent your computer from shutting all the way down.

    If you do have more than one antivirus program, pick one to use and uninstall the others.
  2. Step 2: Close any open programs.

    Running programs can interfere with your computer's shutdown process.

    The easiest way to close open programs is by using Task Manager.

    If you're running a third-party antivirus program, disable it completely before continuing. , USB drives, mice, controllers, SD cards, and anything else you may have plugged into your PC may be preventing your computer from shutting down properly.

    Remove these items before continuing., Your computer's operating system version, outdated drivers, or a combination thereof can easily cause problems when you try to shut down.

    To update your computer's operating system and drivers:
    Open Start.

    Click the Settings gear.

    Click Update & security.

    Click Check for updates.

    Wait for your computer to update. , If a network issue is the reason your computer isn't shutting down, disconnecting your computer from all wireless networks (including Bluetooth) may fix the problem.

    Placing your computer in Airplane Mode is the easiest way to do this:
    Click the Notification box in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.

    Click the Airplane Mode box.

    If you're on a wired (Ethernet) network, unplug the Ethernet cable from your computer as well. , Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., It's a folder in the "W" section of the Start menu., It's near the middle of the Windows System folder., This icon resembles a blue computer monitor inside of a computer window.

    If you don't see this option, click the option next to "View by:" in the top-right corner of the window and select Large icons or Small icons. , This link is below the "System and Security" heading., It's in the bottom-right corner of the window., This option will appear at the top of the window., If there are any problems with your Windows update, follow the instructions provided to fix them.

    In most cases, you'll click Apply fix when prompted and wait for the fix to be applied.

    You may need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect, which means you'll have to hold down your computer's power button to turn it off. , Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., This icon is in the lower-left corner of the Start window., It's an icon of a circular arrow., This tab is on the left side of the window., It's toward the bottom of the page., This button will appear below and to the right of the Power option., You'll do this for each problem that Windows comes across.

    If you see something listed as a problem that you don't care to fix, click Skip this fix instead. , If the computer successfully shuts down, the problem was resolved.

    If not, proceed to the next part., Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., This icon is in the lower-left corner of the Start window., This icon resembles a laptop., It's on the left side of the System page., This option is in the top-right side of the page., You'll find this link in the top-left corner of the window., Click the drop-down box right of "When I press the power button" and beneath "On battery"

    click Shut down, and repeat for the "Plugged in" column.

    This will ensure that pressing your computer's power button will shut down your computer., If the computer successfully shuts down, the problem was resolved.

    If not, proceed to the next part., Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., It's in the "W" section of the Start menu., It's in the top-left corner of the window., It's in the upper-left section of the Windows Defender window., This link is below the Quick scan button in the middle of the page., If not, click the circle to the left of "Full scan" at the top of the page., It's in the middle of the page.

    Doing so will begin scanning your computer for disruptive programs., If anything malicious turns up during the scan, Windows Defender will alert you; naturally, you should allow Windows Defender to remove the dangerous items.

    If this scan doesn't find anything, repeat the scan with "Windows Defender Offline scan" checked instead of "Full scan" checked. , If the computer successfully shuts down after the scan is complete, the problem was resolved.

    If not, proceed to the next part., Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., It's a folder in the "W" section of the Start menu., This option is toward the bottom of the Windows System folder., This tab is at the top of the Task Manager window., This will prevent the program from starting automatically when you turn on your computer.

    Too many programs attempting to start at once can cause your computer to crash, so doing this may fix related problems., Any third-party programs such as antivirus utilities, chat rooms, or other apps should be disabled when you're through.

    Don't disable Windows processes such as the graphics card or Windows Defender. , If the computer successfully shuts down, the problem was resolved.

    If not, proceed to the next part., Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

    You cannot perform this process on Windows 8 or
    10. , This will bring up a list of search results., It's the blue group of cubes at the top of the Start window., Doing so opens the Registry Editor.

    Be extremely careful when using the Registry Editor.

    Don't edit or remove anything not explicitly covered in this method. , To do so:
    Double-click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the top-left corner of the window.

    Double-click SOFTWARE.

    Double-click Microsoft.

    Double-click Windows Double-click CurrentVersion.

    Click Winlogon. , This key should be on the right side of the Registry Editor window., It's a tab in the upper-left corner of the window., This option is at the top of the Edit drop-down menu., In the "Value" field, make sure "1" is displayed instead of "0"., This will make sure that your computer actually shuts down when you give it the command to do so.
  3. Step 3: Remove any attached devices.

  4. Step 4: Update your computer.

  5. Step 5: Disable your PC's wireless connections before shutting down.

  6. Step 6: Open Start .

  7. Step 7: Scroll down and click Windows System.

  8. Step 8: Click Control Panel.

  9. Step 9: Click Troubleshooting.

  10. Step 10: Click Fix problems with Windows Update.

  11. Step 11: Click Next.

  12. Step 12: Click Try troubleshooting as an administrator.

  13. Step 13: Follow the on-screen instructions.

  14. Step 14: Open Start .

  15. Step 15: Click Settings .

  16. Step 16: Click Update & security.

  17. Step 17: Click Troubleshoot.

  18. Step 18: Scroll down and click Power.

  19. Step 19: Click Run the troubleshooter.

  20. Step 20: Click Apply this fix.

  21. Step 21: Try to shut down your computer.

  22. Step 22: Open Start .

  23. Step 23: Click Settings .

  24. Step 24: Click System.

  25. Step 25: Click Power & sleep.

  26. Step 26: Click Additional power settings.

  27. Step 27: Click Choose what the power buttons do.

  28. Step 28: Change the "On battery" and "Plugged in" boxes to "Shut down".

  29. Step 29: Try to shut down your computer by pressing the power button.

  30. Step 30: Open Start .

  31. Step 31: Scroll down and click Windows Defender Security Center.

  32. Step 32: Click ☰.

  33. Step 33: Click Virus & threat protection.

  34. Step 34: Click Advanced scan.

  35. Step 35: Make sure "Full scan" is checked.

  36. Step 36: Click Scan now.

  37. Step 37: Wait for the scan to complete.

  38. Step 38: Try to shut down your computer.

  39. Step 39: Open Start .

  40. Step 40: Scroll down and click Windows System.

  41. Step 41: Click Task Manager.

  42. Step 42: Click Startup.

  43. Step 43: Select a program

  44. Step 44: then click Disable.

  45. Step 45: Disable any non-Windows startup programs.

  46. Step 46: Try to shut down your computer.

  47. Step 47: Open Start .

  48. Step 48: Type regedit into Start.

  49. Step 49: Click regedit.

  50. Step 50: Click Yes when prompted.

  51. Step 51: Navigate to the "Winlogon" folder.

  52. Step 52: Click PowerDownAfterShutdown.

  53. Step 53: Click Edit.

  54. Step 54: Click Modify.

  55. Step 55: Change the value to 1.

  56. Step 56: Click OK

  57. Step 57: then click OK when prompted.

Detailed Guide

Any antivirus program other than Windows Defender is technically a third-party program.

Having more than one third-party antivirus program running simultaneously can prevent your computer from shutting all the way down.

If you do have more than one antivirus program, pick one to use and uninstall the others.

Running programs can interfere with your computer's shutdown process.

The easiest way to close open programs is by using Task Manager.

If you're running a third-party antivirus program, disable it completely before continuing. , USB drives, mice, controllers, SD cards, and anything else you may have plugged into your PC may be preventing your computer from shutting down properly.

Remove these items before continuing., Your computer's operating system version, outdated drivers, or a combination thereof can easily cause problems when you try to shut down.

To update your computer's operating system and drivers:
Open Start.

Click the Settings gear.

Click Update & security.

Click Check for updates.

Wait for your computer to update. , If a network issue is the reason your computer isn't shutting down, disconnecting your computer from all wireless networks (including Bluetooth) may fix the problem.

Placing your computer in Airplane Mode is the easiest way to do this:
Click the Notification box in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.

Click the Airplane Mode box.

If you're on a wired (Ethernet) network, unplug the Ethernet cable from your computer as well. , Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., It's a folder in the "W" section of the Start menu., It's near the middle of the Windows System folder., This icon resembles a blue computer monitor inside of a computer window.

If you don't see this option, click the option next to "View by:" in the top-right corner of the window and select Large icons or Small icons. , This link is below the "System and Security" heading., It's in the bottom-right corner of the window., This option will appear at the top of the window., If there are any problems with your Windows update, follow the instructions provided to fix them.

In most cases, you'll click Apply fix when prompted and wait for the fix to be applied.

You may need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect, which means you'll have to hold down your computer's power button to turn it off. , Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., This icon is in the lower-left corner of the Start window., It's an icon of a circular arrow., This tab is on the left side of the window., It's toward the bottom of the page., This button will appear below and to the right of the Power option., You'll do this for each problem that Windows comes across.

If you see something listed as a problem that you don't care to fix, click Skip this fix instead. , If the computer successfully shuts down, the problem was resolved.

If not, proceed to the next part., Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., This icon is in the lower-left corner of the Start window., This icon resembles a laptop., It's on the left side of the System page., This option is in the top-right side of the page., You'll find this link in the top-left corner of the window., Click the drop-down box right of "When I press the power button" and beneath "On battery"

click Shut down, and repeat for the "Plugged in" column.

This will ensure that pressing your computer's power button will shut down your computer., If the computer successfully shuts down, the problem was resolved.

If not, proceed to the next part., Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., It's in the "W" section of the Start menu., It's in the top-left corner of the window., It's in the upper-left section of the Windows Defender window., This link is below the Quick scan button in the middle of the page., If not, click the circle to the left of "Full scan" at the top of the page., It's in the middle of the page.

Doing so will begin scanning your computer for disruptive programs., If anything malicious turns up during the scan, Windows Defender will alert you; naturally, you should allow Windows Defender to remove the dangerous items.

If this scan doesn't find anything, repeat the scan with "Windows Defender Offline scan" checked instead of "Full scan" checked. , If the computer successfully shuts down after the scan is complete, the problem was resolved.

If not, proceed to the next part., Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen., It's a folder in the "W" section of the Start menu., This option is toward the bottom of the Windows System folder., This tab is at the top of the Task Manager window., This will prevent the program from starting automatically when you turn on your computer.

Too many programs attempting to start at once can cause your computer to crash, so doing this may fix related problems., Any third-party programs such as antivirus utilities, chat rooms, or other apps should be disabled when you're through.

Don't disable Windows processes such as the graphics card or Windows Defender. , If the computer successfully shuts down, the problem was resolved.

If not, proceed to the next part., Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

You cannot perform this process on Windows 8 or
10. , This will bring up a list of search results., It's the blue group of cubes at the top of the Start window., Doing so opens the Registry Editor.

Be extremely careful when using the Registry Editor.

Don't edit or remove anything not explicitly covered in this method. , To do so:
Double-click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the top-left corner of the window.

Double-click SOFTWARE.

Double-click Microsoft.

Double-click Windows Double-click CurrentVersion.

Click Winlogon. , This key should be on the right side of the Registry Editor window., It's a tab in the upper-left corner of the window., This option is at the top of the Edit drop-down menu., In the "Value" field, make sure "1" is displayed instead of "0"., This will make sure that your computer actually shuts down when you give it the command to do so.

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