How to fix when PC won’t shut down

By Sruthy

By Sruthy

Sruthy, with her 10+ years of experience, is a dynamic professional who seamlessly blends her creative soul with technical prowess. With a Technical Degree in Graphics Design and Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics and Communication, she brings a unique combination of artistic flair…

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Updated September 19, 2024
Reviewed by Kamila

Reviewed by Kamila

Kamila is an AI-based technical expert, author, and trainer with a Master’s degree in CRM. She has over 15 years of work experience in several top-notch IT companies. She has published more than 500 articles on various Software Testing Related Topics, Programming Languages, AI Concepts,…

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Are you frustrated with a stubborn PC that refuses to power off? Quickly discover expert solutions and fix for computer PC won’t shut down and learn how to regain control easily:

With digital transformation all our documents such as birth certificates, school leaving, facilitation certificates on graduation, mark sheets, pictures, flight tickets, visas, and passports can be saved as a soft copy as PDF or images and stored as files that can be shared, retrieved and printed whenever needed.

Many organizations work as data management firms, updating and verifying at regular intervals to keep their database of customers up to date with the help of the customer support team. These firms keep their computers running 24/7 round the clock.

Computer Won’t Turn Off: Simple Fixes to Explore

PC Won’t Shut Down

Keeping computers running continuously can cause overheating of hardware components, wearing out of these components, high power consumption, and damage and breakdown of the computers that remain running continuously.

How to Keep Computers Running Continuously

As technology advances, we invariably depend on continuous recording, analysis, calculations, and fail-safe, reliable processes and machines or devices like computers, mobile or handheld scanners, etc. that can run continuously by charging at regular intervals or without interruptions like shut down for maintenance.

Analog computers process data that may not have a divided or separate value, or constantly changing data.

Industries, engineering fields, research organizations, technological sectors, and scientific communities use these computers to solve various scenarios and problems such as differential equations and simulations of physical systems that demand continuous calculations in mathematical functions.

Embedded computers are other computers that run without rebooting or being reset. DVD players, washing machines, and the automobile industry utilize them.

Further Servers are specific computers that have design configurations that need to run 24/7, 7 days of week to process multiple and continuous requests from people and linked computers via a network spread across the world whenever needed.

Reasons for Computer Won’t Shut Down

There are multiple reasons your computer may not shut down when you click the Shut down option under the Power option on clicking the Start menu or clicking the Power key of the running computer.

In case of automatic update is enabled, your Windows operating system may receive updates and until the update is not installed, your computer will not shut down.

There can be multiple processes running in the background while your PC is running that may slow down your computer or hang for you to continue working on any of the applications, Type or search for Task Manager in the Start menus & click to open, Task Manager window will open, Processes tab will be displayed.

Select one of the running processes/tasks in the background – say – Google Chrome (8) – multiple browser instances are running, you can select this process and right-click & select End task.

You may experience computer freeze or not allow any actions when you try to press the Power button or select the Shut down option. For such cases, run Trouble Shooter for Power configuration, and check what the timeout settings of your computer are.

Timeout settings are the time the computer waits before it completely turns off the display of the monitor. There is the possibility of software that is not compatible with your computer hardware, you can either uninstall particular software that is not suitable for your computer, re-install the entire software, or update a particular application (software) with the latest updates.

There are chances your computer may have malware or virus that may cause freezing of the computer, not allowing it to shut down. You may try to force shut shutdown of your computer by keeping the Power button pressed until the computer shuts down.

Ways to Fix PC Won’t Shut Down

Force Shut down

When you experience your computer won’t shut down even after clicking the shutdown option of Power menus in Start (Windows icon), you can try to force shut down

  • There is a Power button on the top right corner of your keyboard, the one that you press to start your computer.
  • Press and hold down the Power key for a few seconds until your machine power gets turned off.

Suggested Read => Shutdown or Restart a Remote Computer/Windows 10 PC

Disable Fast Start-up

The computer boot-up process is associated with a feature called Fast Start-up. Disabling this feature can involve the computer won’t shut down.

  • Type Control Panel in the search text field provided at the bottom left corner of the monitor
  • Click on the Control Panel listed in the menu
  • The Control Panel window will open
  • Look for Power Options
  • Click on Power Options
  • Power Options window will open
  • Click on Choose what the power button does
  • A system settings window will open
  • Click on the link – Change settings that are currently unavailable
  • Shut-down options with enabled checkboxes will display
  • Uncheck the selected checkbox for an option – Turn on fast start-up (recommended)
  • The Save Changes button will be enabled
  • Click on the Save Changes button
fast startup

Now you can try to shut down the process.

The power button acts as a toggle button, as after waiting for some time, you can press the Power button to start again your computer.

Disabling fast start-up alternatives may not work to completely shut down your computer with the Windows 10 operating system. It results in hibernation of the kernel session, with Windows 7/8/10, those PC won’t shut down.

The following alternatives were found to work:

  • Use the Shift key with the Power button
    • Click on the Shift button along with the Power button (or Power -> Shut down in the Start menus) simultaneously
    • This will shut down your computer
  • Shut down via command prompt
    • Click on the Windows icon on the bottom left corner of the monitor
    • Type the Command Prompt in the search text field
    • Select Command Prompt App displayed in the menus by clicking on it
    • Command Prompt window will appear
    • Type the following command – shutdown /s /f /t 0
    • Press Enter

The computer will shut down

  • Shut down using a batch file

A batch file contains a list of instructions or commands that act as a script that can be executed for routine tasks like performing repetitive tasks, loading or running programs, etc. without manual intervention.

  • Open Notepad and type shutdown /s /f /t 0 command
  • Select the Save As option in the File menu
  • Save the file as any_name.bat or (shutdown.bat)
  • Select Save as a type as All Files (*.*), with encoding as UTF-8,
  • Click on the Save button, you may save this file anywhere on the computer
  • Select this batch file (shutdown.bat)
  • Right-click this file and select Run as administrator
  • The next step is Right click again select Send from the menus and select the Desktop (create shortcut) option.
  • Go to Desktop, check short cut has been created for the batch file
  • Right-click on this shortcut and select Properties from the menus
  • A window will open with the Shortcut tab enabled as shown below
  • Click on the Advanced button and click the OK button.
  • The advanced Properties screen will display
  • Select check box – Run as administrator and click the OK button
  • Double-click on the shortcut of the batch file

You will find the computer will shut down.

batch_file

End Task in Task Manager

Follow these steps:

  • Right-click on the Windows icon and select Task Manager from the menus
  • The task Manager window will appear with the Processes tab open
  • Select the process that consumes maximum memory (at the top of the list)
  • The end task button will be enabled
  • Click on the End task button
  • Repeat this for each of the processes
  • This will kill processes that run applications such as Google Chrome or Windows Explorer
task_mngr_kill

Follow standard steps to shut down the computer either by selecting the Windows icon ->Power -> Shut down option.

Also Read =>> How to Open Task Manager on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook

Try to Restart

You can try restarting the computer to fix the computer, not shutting down

  • Click on the Windows icon (Start)
  • Select Power icon
  • Click on Restart option

The computer will restart, thereby fixing the issue of the computer won’t shut down.

Troubleshooting

Finally, you can take the help of troubleshooting the issue of the computer won’t shut down.

  • Type Settings in the search text field provided at the bottom left corner of the monitor
  • Click on the Settings option listed in the menu
  • Settings window will open
  • Look for Update & Security
  • Settings window will open
  • Click on Troubleshoot from the menu on the left panel
  • Click on Additional Troubleshooters link on the right panel
  • Click on Power option under Additional Troubleshooters
  • Run the troubleshooter button will appear

Click on it to troubleshoot the computer not shutting down

Also Read => Explore How to Factory Reset Windows 10

troubleshoot

Changing Power Option

  • Right-click on the Windows icon and look for Power options
  • Click on Power options
  • A window with the title Power & sleep will open
  • On the right side panel, click on Additional Power Settings
  • Click on Change Plan settings
  • Change settings for the plan window will open
  • Click on Change advanced power settings

(In the case of Desktop computers)

  • Look for PCI Express
  • Click + sign to expand PCI Express
  • Expand Link State Power Management
  • Under Settings select Off from drop-down

(In the case of Laptop computers)

  • Look for Power saving plan
  • Right click on Windows icon (Start) and type Command Prompt
  • Right-click on Command Prompt in menus & select Run as Administrator
  • Command prompt will open
  • Type powercfg -energy
powercfg-energy

Next type energy-report.html, a html page will be displayed showing the energy report as below:

power-report

Disable Hibernation

  • Right-click on the Windows icon (Start) and type Command Prompt
  • Right-click on Command Prompt in menus & select Run as Administrator
  • Command prompt will open
  • Type powercfg.exe/hibernate off
  • Type exit

This one will help in fixing the PC won’t shut down issue.

Further Reading => Sleep Vs Hibernate in Windows

System File Repair

Here are the steps to follow:

  • Right-click on the Windows icon (Start) and type Command Prompt
  • Right-click on Command Prompt in menus & select Run as Administrator
  • Command prompt will open
  • At command prompt type sfc/scannow
  • Press enter
  • Wait till the system scan is completed
  • Reboot (restart) your computer, Boot in Safe mode

How to Disable Automatic Restart

It is observed that on pressing Shut down the computer; it gets restarted. First, disable automatic restarting of the computer.

  • Before the Windows icon on the screen appears, keep pressing the F8 button
  • Keep F8 pressed till the boot menu gets displayed to select Safe Mode
  • Continue to Boot computer in Safe Mode
  • Type sysdm.cpl and open sysdm.cpl
  • Open Startup and Recovery
  • Click Advanced and Settings from Startup and Recovery
  • Unselect checkbox at Automatically restart
  • Click OK button
  • Select rebooting the computer

Modify BIOS Configuration

  • Force shut down by pressing the Power button
  • After your computer shuts down, restart it again
  • Press F2 / F11 and Delete button simultaneously to switch to BIOS configuration
  • Select HDD or The default at Boot section
  • Press the F10 button or click on the Save button to save these modifications.
  • Exit BIOS configuration
  • Restart your computer
  • Shut down your computer

Stop Delivery Updates

  • Right-click on the Windows icon and look for Settings
  • Click on Settings
  • Windows Settings interface will display
  • Click on Update & Security
  • Click on Delivery Optimization
  • Under Allow downloads from other PCs
  • Deselect checkbox beside Allow downloads from other PCs
deliv_opti

System Restore

  • Enter Control Panel in the search text field near Windows icon (Start)
  • Search for recovery by typing in the search text field
  • Click on Recovery
  • Click on Open System Restore link
  • Restore System files and settings window will open
  • Continue by clicking Next till it Finish

Disable Applications on Start-up

Some processes or applications keep running on shut down of the computer. You need to disable these applications as per the steps given below

  • You can either look for Task Manager in the search text field near the Windows icon & click on Task Manager

OR

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc simultaneously
  • Task Manager window will open
  • List of Processes running will display
  • Go to Start-up tab
  • Select processes/tasks running during start up
  • Click on Disable button

This will disable all the tasks that run on start-up.

Task_Mnr_disable

Further Reading => Simple Task Manager Shortcut Methods


Frequently Asked Questions

1. What may happen to your computer if you perform a forced shutdown?

It is advisable to follow normal shutdown steps like Start -> Power -> Shut down, compared to force shutdown. You may lose unsaved work if you are working on some file writing or editing content. A shutdown can cause data corruption if files are left open.

2. Why Windows 10/11 computer does not shut down completely?

The kernel of the computer will be subjected to hibernation saving. The state results in faster booting of the computer.

3. Is forced shutdown advisable for computers?

Forced shutdown of the computer can corrupt system files, thereby we may have to reinstall the operating system. There will be a loss of data if you have not saved your unsaved content or changes in opened files.

4. Should you shut down your computer regularly?

It is recommended to shut down your computer every night if not in use for better performance.


Conclusion

It is advisable to shut down your computers if not in use. It is observed that keeping computers running continuously can cause overheating of hardware components, wearing out of these components, high power consumption, and damage and breakdown of the computers that remain running continuously.

In this article we have dealt with the issue of computers won’t shut down.

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