You have just finished working on that crucial project for work or school that took you the previous few hours. Your Windows 8 PC should now be turned off and left alone for the evening. However, the PC appears to be off when you click “Shut Down” and the screen goes dark. However, when you wake up, your computer is locked. How come? You are not the only one who is dealing with the dreaded Windows 8 shutdown problem.
Do not fear; there are a few quick remedies that will restore normal PC shutdown. The major reasons of the Windows 8 shutdown issue are discussed in this post, along with fixes to get your computer to shut down properly. By the time you click “Shut Down,” your PC will completely go down, and you may go to sleep knowing it will not be left on all night. Let us get started and finally fix your Windows 8 shutdown problem.
Understanding the Windows 8 Shutdown Problem
Most of us have encountered the dreaded Windows 8 shutdown bug at some time. Your computer appears to be operating normally, but whenever you try to shut it down, the “Shutting Down” screen remains frozen. Obnoxious, no? The good news is that you can try a few tweaks to get your PC to shut down properly once more.
Checking for Software Issues
Check to see if any software applications are stopping Windows from shutting down. Ctrl+Alt+Delete and choosing “Task Manager” will launch the Task Manager. Close any non-responsive applications you find by looking for them. Additionally, you should look for any required system upgrades. Sometimes, out-of-date software might cause Windows features to malfunction.
Disabling Fast Startup
Although Fast Startup is intended to shorten boot times, shutdown may be hampered. Go to Control Panel System and Security Power Options to disable it. “Choose what the power buttons do” should be chosen. To disable rapid startup, uncheck the box next to “Change settings that are currently unavailable” and click. Check to see if your computer shuts down normally now.
Running System File Checker
The elevated command prompt can be opened by searching for “Command Prompt,” right-clicking, and choosing “Run as administrator,” then typing “sfc /scannow” and pressing Enter. This will scan your system files and repair any issues. Once it is finished, reboot your PC and try shutting it down again. Corrupted system files can also cause shutdown issues.
You should be able to resolve your problematic Windows 8 shutdown with a little troubleshooting and resume your trouble-free computing experience. If any of these solutions work for you, please let me know!
Why Does Windows 8 Have Trouble Shutting Down?
Why then does Windows 8 have trouble properly shutting down? This problem arises for a few reasons:
Conflicting Apps
When the system shuts down, open apps can occasionally cause conflicts with one another or the system. Closing all apps before closing down is an easy fix. Then, right-click any open app icons with the Windows key and choose “Close” or “Exit.” Then attempt to shut down once more.
Pending Updates
If Windows 8 needs to install any pending updates, shutdown may be delayed. You will need to manually search for any updates, put them in, and restart. The shutdown should function normally once the updates have been put on the system.
Storage Device Issues
Shutdown issues can also be brought on by issues with attached storage devices, such as external hard drives or USB drives. Try shutting down your computer again after disconnecting any peripherals and storage devices, such as flash drives, phones, and tablets, that are connected to it.
System File Corruption
Important Windows system files may occasionally have suffered damage or corruption. To check for and replace any corrupted system files, you might try running the System File Checker. Enter “sfc /scannow” into an elevated Command Prompt after opening it. Restart your computer after the scan is finished. Any shutdown troubles brought on by corrupt system files should be resolved as a result.
Hopefully one of these fixes will enable Windows 8 to shut down correctly once more. In order to fix any software or driver problems preventing a proper shutdown, you might need to refresh or reset your system if problems persist. However, with a little perseverance and troubleshooting, you may get your system to power off regularly once more.
Tweaking Settings to Improve Shutdown Time
Compared to earlier Windows versions, Windows 8 is reputed to take longer to shut down. This can be annoying, especially if you need to leave right away. The good news is that you can modify a few settings to perhaps increase your shutdown speed and make Windows 8 shut down more quickly.
Adjust Power Options
Open “Power Options” in the Control Panel. From here, select your existing electricity plan and then click “Change plan settings.” Set the time to one minute under “Turn off the display” and “Put the computer to sleep.” When you press the power button, this will get your computer ready to shut down more quickly.
A shorter duration, say 3 minutes, can be chosen for the “Hard disk” option under “Turn off hard disk after” by going to “Change advanced power settings.” Your hard disk will spin down earlier as a result, enabling a speedier shutdown.
Disable Visual Effects
Live tiles, animations, and transitions are just a few of the visual elements in Windows 8 that might consume additional resources and delay shutdown. Open ‘System’ in the Control Panel by going there. Go to the “Advanced” tab by selecting “Advanced system settings.” Click “Settings” under “Performance.” Remove the checkmark from the boxes next to “Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing” and “Fade or slide menus into view.” This will lessen the visual impacts and can speed up shutdown.
Close Unused Apps and Programs
Your computer will take longer to shut down since Windows must close each open app and software. Make it a practice to shut down any open applications and programs. To close numerous apps at once, right-click the app icon in the taskbar and choose “Close” or “Close group.” Your shutdown time can be greatly shortened by taking this one step.
You might discover that the dreaded lengthy Windows 8 shutdown is a thing of the past with a few little changes to your settings. Making these adjustments and periodically closing unwanted apps ought to help you leave the house sooner. Let us know if these suggestions make it easier to shut down Windows 8!
When to Do a Clean Install to Solve Shutdown Problems
Sometimes Windows 8 still will not properly shut down, even after attempting all the previous remedies. To fix the shutdown issues at this time, it might be better to perform a clean install of Windows.
When Should You do a Clean Install?
If you’ve tried the other solutions and your PC is still not shutting down as it should, it’s probably time for a clean install. Some signs it may be necessary include:
- Your PC takes forever to shut down and sometimes doesn’t fully turn off.
- You frequently get error messages when shutting down that prevent it from turning off.
- Your PC is running sluggishly in general and other system functions seem to not be working right.
- You’ve recently had a malware infection that you couldn’t remove completely.
With a clean install, Windows will be installed from scratch on your system disk, erasing any corrupted system files or other issues that may be causing issues. It ought to fix recurring shutdown issues and restore optimal performance to your PC.
How To do a Clean Install
To perform a clean install of Windows 8:
- Back up your important files, photos, documents, etc. to an external drive. The clean installation will erase everything!
- boot from your Windows installation media – either a DVD or USB drive. You may need to change the boot order in your PC’s BIOS to boot from the drive first.
- Follow the prompts to install Windows. Choose “Custom: Install Windows only” to do a clean installation. This will delete all partitions on the drive and install a fresh copy of Windows.
- After installation completes, you’ll need to reinstall all your programs and restore your files from backup. But your shutdown problems should be solved!
Although a last resort, a clean install of Windows is occasionally the only option for resolving enduring system problems. It might be worth performing a clean installation to get your PC working smoothly once again if earlier fixes have not been successful in resolving your Windows 8 shutdown issues. If you have any further inquiries, please contact me!
Conclusion
So there you have it, a straightforward solution to your unpleasant Windows 8 shutdown issue. You can restore Windows 8’s usual behavior and force it to shut down when you tell it to by turning off the “fast startup” option and completing a full shutdown. No more wasting time pondering whether it is safe to turn off the electricity for a few minutes. Although technology is fantastic when it functions as intended, minor defects like this one can drive us crazy. Now that you know your PC will turn off quickly with a mouse click or finger tap the next time you are finished using it for the day, you can relax. Although Windows 8 has certain oddities, at least this shutdown issue can be resolved with
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