PC or laptop should shut down by just a click or command such that all the active programs are put to a halt and your system hibernates until you switch it on the next time. If you are facing trouble in shutting down your device then you must definitely investigate the problem causing it and rectify it.
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There might be several reasons due to which your computer won’t turn off as it should. In this article, we are going to focus on this issue, its causes, and the possible solutions. We will also cover Windows 10 in particular as Windows is a commonly used operating system, as well as many users, face the ‘Windows 10 won’t shut down’ error.
Why the computer won’t shut down?
Some of the reasons that are preventing your system from shutting down could be:
- Unwanted applications running on your device
- Faulty system file
- Issue related to Windows update
- Issue related to BIOS settings
- Fast Startup
Now that we have listed out the causes, let us check out their troubleshooting techniques.
Force Shut Down
Follow these steps to force the shutdown of your PC or laptop instead of plugging it off the power or waiting for it to shut down on its own.
- For shutting down your system forcefully you have to press the power button continuously for about 5 to 10 seconds.
- If you are using a PC, then plug it off the power for about 10 minutes.
- Now, try switching on your system and check if the problem still exists.
Windows 10 version
If you are a Windows user then check whether you have the latest version of Windows 10 and its updates.
Follow these steps to find out about the updates:
- Open the Start menu on your device and click on the ‘Settings’ option.
- From the Settings menu choose ‘Update and Security’.
- Click on Windows update.
- Choose the ‘Check for Updates’ option to begin the search for new updates.
- If any new update exists finish updating and try shutting down your device.
Also, read about: 6 Fixes When Second Monitor Is Not Detected In Windows 10
Run the Windows Troubleshooter
This will help you to shut down your device while it’s updating. Try using the following steps if you feel that the update is taking more than the usual time.
- Search for the Troubleshoot settings from the Start menu.
- From the ‘Get up running’ choose the ‘Windows Update’ option.
- Choose the ‘Run the troubleshooter’ option.
Fast Start-Up
The fast start-up is the feature available in the updated version of Windows 10 that reduces the time taken to start or shut down your system by putting it in partially sleep or hibernation mode.
This feature is also known as Hybrid Shutdown feature that might cause problems in the BIOS settings which causes the error in shutting down. Hence, you can try disabling the fast startup feature by following these steps:
- Search and choose the ‘Power and Sleep settings’ from the Start menu.
- From the new dialog box, choose the ‘Additional power settings’ followed by the ‘Choose what the power buttons do’ from the left side panel.
- Now to change the current settings, choose the ‘Change settings that are currently available’ option.
- Click ‘Turn on fast startup (recommended)’ check box to turn the setting off.
- Choose the ‘Save changes’ option to save the changes.
Now try shutting down your device. Even though the starting and shutting down time might be more than before, this might solve the problem. If you do not want to increase this time try the other techniques.
Shutting down using the Command Prompt
Using the command prompt, you can give instructions to shut your computer entirely. To do this follow these steps:
- Type ‘cmd’ in the Start menu.
- Right click on the Command prompt option. From the list choose the ‘Run as administrator’ option.
- Copy and paste this command in the Command prompt dialog box ‘shutdown /s /f /t 0’ to shutdown the device.
Also, check out: 10 Useful Windows CMD Commands That Every User Should Know
BIOS Settings
As mentioned earlier, the issue related to BIOS settings might be the reason causing the problem with shutting down your PC or laptop.
The BIOS settings and the procedure to reset them differs with different manufacturers, so, check out the official manufacturer’s website to check the BIOS settings and reset them.
In case your computer keeps restarting even when you choose the ‘Shut Down’ option then try the following technique to rectify it.
Cancel Automatic Restart
You can safely boot the computer and cancel the automatic restart setting to prevent this issue. Follow these steps to do the same:
- When your computer starts, press on the F8 key continuously before the Windows logo appears on the screen.
- This will open the Boot menu from which you should choose the ‘Safe Mode To access it in the safe mode.
- After the Windows boot up type and search for the ‘sysdm.cpl’.
- Search for the Start-up and Recovery menu and click on the ‘Advanced’ option followed by the ‘Settings’ option.
- Click on the Automatically Restart checkbox to uncheck the option.
- Click on the ‘OK’ option.
Try the ‘Shut Down’ option now and check if the problem still persists.
Drive Partition Settings
A faulty or missing system file in Windows might be the cause of your device not shutting down properly. Click here to know more.
Follow the steps to find those files:
- Windows system file checker can be used to search for the system file which is either corrupted or missing.
- Open the cmd or command prompt from the search in the Start menu.
- Right click the command prompt option and click on ‘Run as administrator’.
- Copy and paste this command ‘sfc /scannow’ to begin the scan and search for the system file.
Use this method to fix the corrupted file and try shutting down your computer.
Hence, in this article we have covered all the issues that might cause these computer won’t turn off trouble. Hope at least one of the solutions helped you to fix your computer.
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