Windows 11 won't shut down: 8 ways to fix it

Shut down your computer after use to perform routine tasks almost every day. Not only does this help save power, but it also gives your computer's components a much-needed rest to ensure their longevity and optimal performance.

It’s hard for any user to appreciate this critical feature of shutting down a PC properly; until the computer doesn’t shut down on command. If your system is also experiencing this particular problem, then you are at the right place.

If the problem is software-based, finding a solution is relatively quick and easy. Fortunately, there are some quick fixes you can use to resolve Windows 11 won’t shut down issues.

Why doesn’t my Windows 11 computer shut down?

There may be more than one reason why your Windows 11 computer isn't shutting down properly. There may be third-party software installed on the system that is preventing the shutdown, or a recently installed update may be causing the problem.

If you are on a mobile device, the machine's quick startup feature could also be the culprit behind it. As mentioned before, there are many possibilities.

While solving the problem is relatively easy, each solution requires a different approach on your part. Therefore, you may need to perform multiple solutions to fully resolve the issue.

Also, if you have just switched from a macOS device to a Windows device, please note that the physical power buttons are configured to do nothing even when you press them. If this is the case, this is a very quick and easy fix that only takes a few seconds.

How to fix Windows 11 won’t shut down?

1. Change Power Settings

1. First, press the shortcut on your keyboard to open the Run Command Utility. Next, type control and press the OK button to launch the control panel. WindowsR
2. Now, from the Control Panel window, click on the Power Options tile.
3. After that, click the "Choose what the power buttons do" option in the upper left corner of the "Power Options" window.
4. Next, click the drop-down menu after the "When I press the power button" field and select the "Shutdown" option.
5. Select the "Shutdown" option from the drop-down menu under the "Insert" column.
6. Finally, click the "Save Changes" button to apply the settings.

Keep in mind that this setting only affects the physical power button on the device and has no effect on the Power menu in the device's Start menu.

2. Roll back a recent Windows update

Note This method only works if you started noticing the issue after receiving an update recently. If the problem predates the update, this may not be the most efficient solution.

1. Click the Start menu icon on the taskbar. Next, click on the Settings option in the flyout.
2. After that, click the Windows Update tab in the left panel of the Settings window. Then, click the Update History tile on the right side of the window.
3. Now, scroll down and click on the "Uninstall Updates" tile under the "Related Settings" section. This will open a separate window on your screen.
4. In a separate window, click the recently installed update. Then, click the Uninstall button on the window.
5. After uninstalling, restart the computer from the Start Menu and then try shutting down the computer. Your issue should be resolved.

3. Disable the Quick Start feature

1. Click the search icon that appears on your computer’s taskbar. Next, type "Control" in the search box and click the "Control Panel" tile in the search results to open "Control Panel".
2. Next, click the Power Options tile in the options grid.
3. After that, click Choose how the lid closes from the upper left corner of the window.
4. Then, click on the Change settings that are currently unavailable option present on the page.
5. Now, uncheck the "Turn on fast startup (recommended) " option under the "Shutdown Settings" section. Then, click on the "Save Changes" option to apply the settings.
6. Finally, restart your computer from the Start Menu.

As the name suggests, the Fast Startup feature enables your computer to start up faster. However, sometimes it interferes and prevents the computer from shutting down properly.

If you have a desktop computer and notice that the fans and lights of certain components remain on even after shutting down, disabling the fast startup feature is definitely for you.

4. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

1. To do this, click the Start menu icon on your computer's taskbar. Then, tap on the Settings option to launch the Settings app.
2. Then, click the System tab on the left panel of the window. Next, click on the Troubleshooting tile on the right side of the window.
3. After that, click the "Additional Troubleshooting" tile.
4. Finally, find the Windows Update tile and click the Run button on it to run the troubleshooter. Then, take action to correct the problem when Windows recommends it.

   The Windows Update Troubleshooter will effectively resolve the current issue if it is caused by an unusually behaving Windows Update client.

5. Run the SFC (System File Checker) command

1. Press shorcut on the keyboard. This will open a pop-up menu from the Start Menu icon. WindowsX
2. Next, click on the Windows Terminal (Administrator) option present on the flyout. This will display the UAC window on the screen.
3. Enter the credentials of the administrator account in the UAC (User Account Control) window in case you are not logged in from an administrator account. Otherwise, click the "is" button to launch Windows Terminal.
4. Then, click on the carat icon (down arrow) and select the Command Prompt option. Alternatively, you can also press the shortcut to open an elevated Command Prompt tab. CtrlShift2
5. Next, in the Command Prompt window, type or copy-paste the following command to run the system file Checker. The command may take a while to run, please wait for the process to complete. <strong>sfc/ SCANNOW</strong>

   

6. After the process is complete, you may receive one of the following messages:
   • Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
   • Windows Resource Protection cannot perform the requested operation.
   • Windows Resource Protection finds corrupt files and successfully repairs them. Details are contained in <strong>CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log</strong>
   • Windows Resource Protection found corrupted files but was unable to repair some of them . Details are contained in <strong>CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log</strong>
7. If you receive the last message, you must manually find the corrupted file from the sfc file log and obtain a known good copy of the file from another system running the same version of Windows.
8. Otherwise, please restart the computer from the Start Menu and check if the problem is resolved.

SFC Scanner will be able to detect and repair any corrupted and/or damaged system files. If you create a system restore point, you may encounter the same problem again.

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6. Run the chkdsk command

1. First, press the shortcut on your keyboard. This will open a flyout from the Start Menu icon. Next, click on the Windows Terminal (Administrator) option in the list. WindowsX
Then, enter the administrator credentials in the UAC window, or if you are already logged in with an administrator user account, just click
2. "Yes" button.
Next, in the Windows Terminal window, click the
3. karat icon (down arrow) and select the Command Prompt option.
After that, type or copy-paste the following command and click to run the scan:
4. Enterchkdsk /f <strong>:<your windows installer drive letter></your></strong>

   

5. Now, restart your system from the Start menu as chkdsk will scan and repair errors on the drive at startup.

   chkdsk command will check the hard drive for any bad sectors and fix them before booting. After the computer starts, try shutting it down to see if it fixes the problem.

7. Run System Restore

1. To run System Restore, click the Start menu icon on the taskbar and select " Setting Options. Alternatively, press the shortcut on your keyboard to launch the application. WindowsI
After that, click on the
2. System tab on the left panel of the screen. Next, click on the "About" tile in the right portion of the window.
Now, click on the
3. "System Protection" option in the "Related Links" section. This will open a separate window on your screen.
In the window that opens, click the "
4. System Restore" option.
Next, select the
5. "Recommended Restore" option by clicking the radio button in front of the Undo latest changes option. Otherwise, select the "Select a different restore point" option to manually select the point to which you want to roll back your system. Then, click the "Next" button to continue.
If you choose to manually select a restore point, click to select the restore point required for your system, and then click the "
6. Next" button.
On the next screen, Windows will display the drives that will be affected by System Restore. To see the complete list of affected programs, click on the Scan for affected programs option. Finally, to restore your system, click the
7. "Finish" button to start the process.

System restore is usually very effective because every time the system undergoes a major planned upgrade or new software installation, a system restore point is created to help users roll back to it in case anything goes wrong. question.

8. Reset your PC

First, launch the
1. Settings app from the Start menu on your Windows 11 computer.
Next, click the
2. System tab in the left panel of the window, then click the Recovery tile on the right side of the Settings window.
After that, click the
3. "Reset PC" button under the "Recovery Options" section. This action will open a separate window on the screen.
Then, to continue enjoying your personal files as is and reset only the system settings and applications, select the
4. Keep everything option. Otherwise, click on the "Delete everything" option.
Now, to reinstall system files, Windows can download them from Microsoft servers or use files that exist locally on the system. Select your preferred option by clicking on it.
5. 
On the next screen, Windows will list the current settings for resetting your PC. To continue, click the
6. Next button on the window.
Finally, click the
7. Reset button to reset your computer. Keep in mind that your machine may restart several times during this process, this is normal behavior when resetting.

As the name suggests, resetting your PC completely reinstalls system files and applications. Even if all else fails, this will most likely solve the problem.

Is it okay to never shut down my computer?

Never shutting down your computer means not resting the RAM, storage devices, system cache, and other critical components of your machine that put them under extreme stress.

With extended use, the physical components of your computer may limit its performance to control the amount of heat they expel, which directly affects performance and in turn makes your computer appear laggy unnecessarily.

Prolonged use may result in abnormally high usage of critical components

In addition, such use may also affect the service life of components, and they may Will be sent out earlier than expected.

Therefore, it is not recommended at all to never shut down your PC to keep your system healthy both physically and logically.

How do I force shut down my Windows 11 computer?

First, on a laptop, hold down the physical power switch for 5 seconds or more and it will immediately shut down the PC. While this is true on a traditional desktop computer, you can also remove power by unplugging it.

However, shutting down in this manner is not recommended at all, as it does not allow the computer to prepare for shutdown and may corrupt or damage system files, and may also result in the loss of any unsaved data.

It's definitely a bit concerning that the computer won't shut down. Although using the solutions listed here, you will definitely be able to restore the functionality.

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