A long computer shutdown time falls into the category of problems that do not seem important until they start to get in the way. In the normal state, the system turns off in at least half a minute - more time means problems.
Why does my Windows 7 computer take a long time to shut down?
The easiest way to look for the cause of an unexpected problem is to remember your last actions. Installing new software, replacing computer parts, an emergency or incorrect shutdown could cause an internal system conflict that takes additional time to resolve. By understanding what has been changed, it is easier to determine how to fix the breakdown.
You can force the computer to shut down by hardware by holding down the power button for four seconds. The system perceives such a situation as an emergency.
Malware
Viruses can cause many troubles of the system, including its long shutdown. Running malware is very reluctant to unload from memory, blocking the shutdown process. Regular applications damaged by viruses begin to work incorrectly, conflicting with other programs or Windows components.
New software
System update, installation of new drivers, installation of fresh versions software products doesn't always go smoothly. Developer errors, failure to copy installation packages, incorrect settings during installation can cause application conflicts with each other, freeze programs and the entire system.
Software conflict
A running application can prevent the system from being force-closed by requiring conscious user action. For example, it can be an active window with a question about saving the changes made.
A hung program is also perceived by the system as running but not responding, so the computer may not turn off until the user decides whether to crash it or continue waiting.
Not enough disk space
When you turn off Windows 7 actively uses free disk space to store intermediate files. The lack of free space forces the system to reuse the remaining reserve, which significantly slows down its work.
swap file
Virtual memory is updated when the computer is turned off. Lack of space, corrupted swap file, or wrong settings can make this process much longer.
Accumulated errors
The operating system itself can cause a long shutdown of the computer. Errors accumulate over a period of time. Installing and uninstalling programs, creating multiple restore points, developer errors, and system file corruption can gradually lead to noticeable slowdowns.
How to fix the situation
To begin with, it is worth trying to fix the problem in simple ways that do not require serious intervention in the operation of the computer.
Close everything else
It is possible that shutting down your computer is slowing down one of your running applications. Close everything manually and then try shutting down again. If everything is fine, one of the programs may be unstable. You can find it by simple enumeration, removing running applications from memory one by one.
The reason may also be hidden not in some separate program, but in in large numbers working them at the same time. In this case, you should unload unnecessary applications from memory in time.
Some programs are very reluctant to unload from memory, leaving individual processes running in the background. To stop them, you should use the "Task Manager", which is called by the combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Remove viruses
Run a full scan of your computer with an up-to-date anti-virus program. Unfortunately, the installed antivirus itself can be infected, so it is better to use the program installed on external media, obviously “clean”.
If the scan found and removed viruses, but the computer continues to shut down for a long time, the reason may be that the cured files are corrupted. Therefore, it is better to reinstall applications in which the antivirus detected malicious code.
cancel changes
The problem could have arisen due to the changes made, so it's worth trying to restore the system to its previous state. Remove recently installed programs and updates, roll back drivers, use a system restore point.
Update programs
Software developers constantly find vulnerabilities in their products and send updates to users with fixes. It is possible that the problem will be resolved by simply updating the drivers, the system and the main programs used. Installing third party alternative software may also help.
Clean up your computer
Special utilities designed to remove temporary files, remnants of uninstalled programs, unnecessary drivers will clean up the system and increase its stability. CCleaner and DriveCleanup, distributed free of charge, enjoy well-deserved authority.
Windows requires about five gigabytes of free space on the disk for optimal performance. If there is less available space on the computer, it will be useful to delete unnecessary files.
Cleaning must be done in the literal sense of the word. Accumulated dust leads to overheating, errors and instability of Windows, so you need to clean your computer regularly.
Speed up the shutdown of hung programs using the registry
The period during which the computer does not turn off the hung program, but waits for its response, is set by the system parameters. By reducing this figure and setting it to automatic completion, you can significantly speed up the shutdown.
In order to call the registry editor, we use the key combination Win (the button with the Windows icon) and R. In the "Open" line of the pop-up "Run" window, enter the regedit command, and then select the "OK" on-screen button.
In the left area of the large "Registry Editor" window, follow the tree of tabs to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop directory.
The right pane of the window contains the installed parameters of the operating system. We need: HungAppTimeout (the number of milliseconds after which the program is considered to be hung), WaitToKillServiceTimeout (time delay to unload a looped application) and AutoEndTasks (permission to turn off hung applications automatically).
If the required parameters are not available in the right window, you should create them. To do this, right-click on the name of the Desktop folder on the left side and select the "New" menu item, and then "String Value".
Now you need to give each new parameter the desired name and set the value:
- HungAppTimeout - 5000;
- WaitToKillServiceTimeout - 2000;
- AutoEndTasks - 1.
It's important to spell the name of the new settings exactly, otherwise Windows won't recognize them.
It remains only to reboot for the changes to take effect. Now Windows itself will turn off suspended programs, the shutdown should speed up.
Shortcut to interrupt hung applications
A convenient device can be a shortcut containing a command that closes all suspended programs, placed directly on the main screen of the "Desktop".
- To create it, you need to press the right mouse button in the free part of the "Desktop", in the drop-down list find the item "Create", then - "Shortcut".
- In the "Specify the location of the object" line of the "Create Shortcut" window, you need to type (or copy from the clipboard) the command %windir%\system32\taskkill.exe /f /fi "status eq not responding".
- We press the on-screen button "Next" to proceed to assigning a name to the created shortcut.
After pressing the “Finish” on-screen button, a shortcut with the name we specified will appear in the system Desktop area, closing all frozen programs with one package.
USB hub power management (for laptops)
Saving power and battery power forces the system to turn off temporarily unused devices. Unfortunately, this function does not always work correctly. Temporarily turning off the USB hub's power may cause connected devices to malfunction and subsequently cause the computer to shut down slowly. If you can sacrifice some battery savings by improving system stability, you can prevent Windows from powering off the hub.
- We press the on-screen button "Start" and find the line "Computer" in the right column.
- Press the right mouse button on the line "Computer" and go to the bottom item "Properties".
- In the composite window "All Control Panel Items - System" on the left side we find the "Device Manager" tab.
- We have reached the "Device Manager" window, in which you can change the parameter we need. We find in the main part the tab "USB Controllers", open it and select "USB Root Hub". By clicking on this item with the right mouse button, select the line "Properties" in the pop-up window.
- Go to the "Power Management" tab, in which we uncheck the box next to the item "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
After pressing the OK screen button, the system will not be allowed to cut off the power supply to this hub. Do the same for the rest of the USB Root Hubs in the list.
Refusal to clean up virtual memory
Some time savings when shutting down the computer will give a refusal to clean the system used virtual memory, especially if the paging file is unstable. This is done using the Local Group Policy Editor.
- Press Win + R, in the pop-up window "Run" we type the command gpedit.msc, and then select the on-screen button "OK".
- In the "Local Group Policy Editor" window that opens, open the "Computer Configuration" tab on the left side and select "Windows Configuration".
- We are interested in the "Security Options" line on the right side of the window.
- Now go to the "Local Policies" tab.
- Apparently, the fantasy of the developers of Windows 7 failed, because the folder we need is again called “Security Settings”.
- The last step remains. In the right part of the window we find the line "Shutdown: clear the virtual memory paging file" and click on it with the right mouse button. In the window that appears, select "Properties".
- In the window of the same name, set the switch to "Disabled" and click "OK". If everything is done correctly, the swap file will not be cleared before shutting down the computer, which will save some more time.
What to do if the message “Undoing changes in progress, do not turn off the computer” is on the screen
Such an unpleasant situation is usually associated with the failure of Windows itself, caused either by an incorrect shutdown or by using a pirated copy of the system that was blocked by the developer when downloading updates.
For the stable operation of the operating system, it is important to properly shut down the computer, to allow Windows to perform all the necessary procedures.
Booting into safe mode
Downloading and installing updates does not allow the computer to work normally, so to solve the problem, you need to boot into safe mode, where this service is disabled.
We reboot the computer hardware: press Reset or hold the laptop power button for a few seconds. As soon as the BIOS starts to load, you should press the F8 function key.
If the button is pressed in time, the "More Boot Options" menu will open. Select "Safe Mode" and wait for the usual Windows window.
Now we need to disable the update download system.
Disable downloading updates
We press the on-screen button "Start" and in the window that appears on the right we find the line "Control Panel".
In the large window "All Control Panel Items" that appears, look for the "Windows Update" tab.
In the new window, go to "Settings". Select the line "Do not check for updates" from the "Important updates" drop-down list.
Removing the latest updates
Now you should uninstall the latest updates, which most likely caused the problem. To do this, use Explorer or another file manager to navigate to the C:/windows/SoftwareDistribution/Download directory. Here you need to delete the most "fresh" files. If for some reason this is difficult, you can delete the entire contents of the directory. This is bad only because then you have to re-download the entire array.
Reboot
If the cause was determined correctly, the computer should boot successfully. To prevent the recurrence of such a problem in the case of using an unlicensed version of Windows 7, it is better to leave the system update disabled. For a legal copy, you can return this parameter after a while.
Rolling back the system
A universal way to return Windows 7 to a working state is to use a system backup restore point. To do this, we also need a hard reset and the "Additional Boot Options" menu called by the F8 key. But this time we select "Safe Mode with Command Line Support".
In the command line that became available after loading the operating system, type the msconfig command and press Enter. In the "System Configuration" window that opens, go to the "Service" tab, and in it - to the "System Restore" line located at the bottom.
In the System Restore window that appears, click the Next button.
From the list of restore points that appears, select the one we need, that is, the one created during the stable Windows work 7.
Video: what to do if the computer is stuck on shutdown
The reasons why a computer with Windows 7 installed may hang on shutdown may relate to hardware, system, software failures, to the intentional actions of viruses and anti-piracy programs. Each option provides its own way of solving the problem, however, the need to take care of the computer, maintaining order in it at all levels remains common. If these conditions are met, the computer will turn off quickly and will not cause you problems.
Turning off the computer is understandable. But it doesn't always turn off. And many PC users have already encountered this problem. Can't turn off your computer? Then the information provided in this article will help you solve the problem forever.
So, the Windows operating system is shutting down, and the computer continues to work. What to do? Do not panic, fight in hysterics, as this is the first sign that your computer equipment is malfunctioning and you should look for the cause of this.
Very many users often sin on viral malware, which today is no exception for any operating electronic system. Hackers work for glory, creating many problems for PC users. But not always the cause of the above problems are all kinds of tapeworms, worms and trojans.
Indeed, often before turning off the computer in such a situation, an error message pops up. Of course, you can start cleaning the computer from all sorts of virtual garbage picked up, but this will not give any effect.
Most likely, the problem lies in the malfunction of the components of the computer device. If this is the first time you encounter this problem, take it to repair, explaining the cause that you want to eliminate. System administrators know exactly what to do to make your device work in normal mode, executing all the given commands without hindrance.
But before you go to the service center, you still need to turn off the computer. How to do it. Yes, elementary! If this is a stationary computer, we pull out the cord from the network and that's it, the screen goes blank. You can act.
If this is a laptop, then you need to either remove the battery, or wait until it is discharged and the device turns off.
These, of course, are not the best options, but others have not yet been invented, so there is no way out. But if the service center is far away, or there is no money to pay for repairs, or some other reason prevents a meeting with system administrators, then you need to look for the reason for not turning off the computer yourself.
So, what could be the cause of the problem?
Let's explore further together. A common cause of the problem in question can be resetting drivers or removing them altogether. In order to return the computer to normal operation, you should update the drivers and the problem will be solved in positive side. You will be able to finish the job in the right way, without harming the operating system with your actions in the standard way of performing operations.
It should be noted that after updating the drivers, you must first restart the computer, and only then try to turn it off again. If the process went well, then you did everything right.
Difficulties in finding which drivers need to be updated are easily solved. Everything needs to be completely updated. This approach will make it possible for a long time not to dig into the definition of which of the drivers failed.
If you yourself do not understand what needs to be updated and how, search the Internet for programs to determine all types of drivers on your computer, download one of them, run it, it will find all the drivers on your device, and you just have to click on the update button to start process.
If updating the drivers did not bring any result and the computer stubbornly does not want to turn off, then the reason is not in them.
We continue to search further.
The computer does not turn off due to programs that are not turned off, which the system itself cannot turn off. Therefore, before shutting down, check if you forgot to log out, for example, from Skype or a browser. If a virus is on the computer, for this reason the system may not turn off.
And in order to find out whether you turned off all the programs or not, before turning off, a window is always displayed that warns that some of the programs are turned on and it is proposed to automatically turn off. If you see such a picture, then one hundred percent that the computer cannot leave the network for this reason.
However, these are not all the situations we have considered when the device cannot be turned off.
The reasons for this phenomenon may be failures in the system settings. Very often, laptops tend to automatically set sleep mode in the Power tab. If a checkmark is checked there, you will not be able to turn off the laptop, after a while it will go into "sleep" and will rest. And no matter how vainly you try to turn off the device, nothing will come of it until you uncheck the box in the indicated place. Of course, you can remove the battery or unplug the power cord, but this is not an effective solution to the problem. We are looking for a tick, remove it and use the device as expected.
You can change the power settings by going to Personalization, finding the Screensavers tab there, entering it and finding the Power Options tab, here we are looking for Plan Settings, click on this tab and select the Never command. All! Computer hibernation has been cancelled. You can turn off your computer and go to rest.
Sleep mode is useful for saving power. So it's up to you to choose which is better when the computer is turned off or when it's just sleeping.
The problem discussed in this article is often faced by owners of computers on which the Windows 8 operating system is installed. The reason for this phenomenon is the so-called hibernation. It is set automatically.
In this case, you can turn off the monitor, and the system itself will be in sleep mode. However, this is not an option, because the technique must rest in the truest sense of the word. And you need to achieve the result of disconnecting it from the network. How? And just turn off this invented automatic hibernation. Again the question is how. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- go to the command line, for this we press the Win + R keys;
- execute cmd;
- prescribe powercfg.exe / hibernate off;
- press Enter.
Everything, the hibernation process has been canceled and we can continue to enjoy life, because the computer will completely turn off after these actions.
If, for some reason, you consider the need for hibernation to work, you can return everything to normal by the same actions of the above algorithm, but instead of - off, you need to write on in the command.
So we figured out another reason for not shutting down the operating system.
Above, we examined the most common reasons why it is impossible to turn off the computer using the standard method and do other things with a clear conscience, leaving the device alone. But still, the aforementioned viruses should not be forgotten either. They are also one of the most common reasons why computer equipment does not work properly.
Malignant harmful viruses are targeted programs that cause blockage of many computer functions, and turning it off is no exception to the rule. There is always only one way out - to look for effective software that will remove all virus programs from your operating system and normalize your computer in standard operating mode without freezes, shutdowns, blocking, unauthorized execution of many operating commands.
The first step in dealing with antiviruses is to scan your computer for viruses. After the antivirus finds the problem and not in the same amount, you should destroy the infected files that are dangerous for other uninfected electronic elements of the operating system. Then you should clean the registry with CCleaner programs. The next step is to reboot the device and try to turn off the computer, which will be clearly effective after the actions taken to destroy viruses.
The above reasons are the most common. If, nevertheless, it is impossible to remove the defect on your own, be sure to visit the service center, whose specialists certainly know the solution to this puzzle and who will find it much faster than an inexperienced PC user.
Before picking up your device from repair, do not forget to ask the masters what the reason was, so that in the future you will know how to deal with it.
Surely every ordinary user had a situation with a non-switchable computer. Not knowing what to do in such a situation, we prefer to simply disconnect the electronic machine from the network, tormenting, subsequently, the next time it is turned on, from constant messages about mandatory verification hard drive for errors. Why does the computer turn off and what to do about it?
Reasons for the "non-shutdown" of the computer
So, you again do not turn off the computer through Start and, for quite a long time, the machine looks at you with its blue screen with the inscription "Shutting down Windows". Here are the typical reasons why the computer cannot shut down for a long time:
- There was a failure in the work of drivers (in particular, video drivers).
- Closes all applications that were open while the user was working.
- A crash (freeze) has occurred in the operation of some application or program.
- The terminal service is shutting down.
- The system erases data in virtual memory.
- The computer is infected with viruses.
Ways to solve problems
So, the computer does not turn off. What to do in this case? Do not panic! Let's look at the solution to each cause separately.
- Driver failures can be fixed by simply reinstalling them to the latest versions. If you already have the latest versions, and the computer still does not turn off, then either you will have to roll back the required driver to the initial version, or refuse to use the device and wait for the new driver version.
- To prevent all applications and programs from slowing down the process of shutting down your computer, try to close all windows after working in Windows. In addition, try to leave as few programs as possible in Startup, and then the computer will not have to complete them all when it is turned off.
- A glitch in a program or application can cause your computer to freeze during shutdown. You can check this by pressing the "CapsLock" key - if the indicator does not light up, then the system is frozen. To get rid of a long computer freeze, you need to reduce the program response time from 12 to 4 seconds. To do this, open the Registry Editor by pressing WIN+R/regedit/OK), and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control. In the last folder, find the line "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" and change the value to 4000 (that is, up to 4 seconds).
- Terminal Services is usually installed by default and is designed for remote desktop use and fast user switching. If you do not work in these modes, then the terminal service can be disabled, and then you will not worry about why the computer does not turn off. To shut down the Terminal Service, proceed as follows: go to the Group Policy Editor menu by typing the SERVICES.MSC function at the command line. In the window that opens, go to the Terminal Services menu and change the value of the "Startup type" parameter.
- Clearing virtual memory on a computer is always disabled by default, but there are some programs that enable this feature. To disable it, you must go to the group policy editor menu by entering the SERVICES.MSC function at the command line. In the window that opens, go to Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Local Policies/Security Features. Here, you will see the status of virtual memory: if it is enabled, you just need to disable it.
- When a computer is infected with viruses, it does not turn off with the button. The computer must be scanned for viruses, and preferably not with one antivirus program, but with several, since often one antivirus sees some viruses, while others find another antivirus. After checking, restart your computer and try turning it off - this method should definitely help.
Today we will look at a common problem that probably everyone has encountered. It's no secret that any software fails, especially when there is a pile of various programs. Let's say you have the Windows 7 operating system, a bunch of various software from various authors, dozens of plug-ins, games, and so on, so on, so on. Often, any of the installed programs can fail, which as a result will result in problems with shutting down the computer.
In addition, at a time when every computer has access to the World Wide Web, it is not uncommon for viruses to infect the system, which, all the more so, can adversely affect the shutdown of Windows.
What to do if you encounter a problem that can be described as follows: "The computer does not turn off after shutting down Windows 7." In other words, you press "Start" - "Shutdown", the system starts to close something, loads, thinks and, ultimately, freezes. In such a case, it remains only to pull out the writing wire, or press the toggle switch located on the power supply, or hold down the computer power button for 5 seconds. Of course, such methods of shutting down the computer adversely affect both the Windows operating system and the computer hardware.
In this article, we will look at the most common reasons for the unwillingness of the system to respond correctly to the shutdown.
To get started, you can open the "Windows 7 Action Center", go to the "Maintenance" tab and look at the "Stability Log". By selecting a date, you can view the system stability report and, by clicking on the error, see a more detailed description of it. This sequence of actions will give you an understanding of the reasons that played an important role in the formation of the problem with turning off the computer.
Once you know the cause, as described in the Windows 7 stability log, you can take steps to resolve it. As a rule, actions consist in uninstalling a certain program, either removing it from Windows startup, or stopping / removing windows services 7. Any such action must be accompanied by a computer restart.
If these actions did not lead to a positive result, it is necessary to clean the autostart of the Windows system. To do this, go to "Start" - "Run" - type "msconfig" in the line - go to the "Startup" tab and remove all unnecessary. As a rule, everything turns out to be superfluous, except perhaps for the antivirus and other programs that you want to start automatically immediately after turning on the computer.
If these actions did not lead to a positive result, use the Windows registry cleaning software. For example, the utility that comes with the Total Commander Power Pack (you can download it from here http://samlab.ws/category/manager/). The utility is quite simple to use, so it does not require a description of the principle of operation.
It will also be very useful to rollback the system to the last known good configuration. As a rule, this helps to get rid of many problems. In order to roll back the system to the last known good configuration, it is necessary to hold down the "F8" key while the computer is booting. From the menu that appears, select Last Known Good Configuration.
Finally, I want to recommend that you scan your system with an antivirus, and perform a full scan with a preliminary update of the databases to the latest version. It will not be superfluous to perform a full check of the system partition of the hard drive "Disk C" using standard Windows tools, so that the system fixes all software errors, as well as cluster errors.
Remember, in order for the system to work stably, it is necessary to periodically check the hard drive, as well as monitor the performance of the antivirus!
It would seem that what does not turn off computer, not so critical - the main thing is that it turns on. However, a slow shutdown of the computer is a fairly common problem, unlike the situation when the computer does not turn on at all. Moreover, over time, failures when turning off the computer begin to occur on almost any computer - it either turns off very slowly, or Windows cannot turn off the computer at all: you will contemplate the inscription Shut down Windows for hours, and the computer will not turn off. As a rule, in such cases, the user does not have the patience to wait for the computer to shutdown, and the computer is simply pulled out of the socket. This causes the next time you turn it on, you will have to wait for the disk checker to check the disk and fix errors. In addition, shutting down your computer in this manner may result in the loss of important data.
Why is this happening?
If earlier (in the days of DOS) the computer could simply be turned off from the outlet (and it was highly desirable to “park” the hard drive), shutting down modern computer- This difficult process which sometimes lasts unacceptably long. The most likely reasons for this behavior are a software error in the driver and a hangup of some program or service (Windows is waiting for the program to complete and cannot wait).
Errors in drivers - the computer does not turn off
Remember which devices you installed last, go to the websites of the manufacturers of these devices and download the latest drivers - it is likely that this will help you. If you already have the latest drivers installed, but the computer still takes a long time to shut down, then you may have to either stop using the device or wait for a new driver version.
Fighting program freezes - the computer does not turn off
On shutdown Windows computer should gracefully terminate all programs and services. Obviously, the more programs that were running during operation (including in the background), the longer it will take to complete them. And if any application freezes at the same time, then the shutdown time can increase significantly.
Let me remind you the registry settings used in this case:
? REG_REG_DWORD AutoEndTasks - if you set this parameter to I, then Windows will automatically end hung tasks;
? REG_SZ HungAppTimeout - the period after which the application will be considered hung. The countdown starts from the moment when the application stopped responding to requests from the operating system. By default, this time is 5000 ms, that is, 5 s;
? REG_SZ WailToKiliAppTimeoul - waiting time before terminating the process (suddenly the process "changes its mind"). By default, it is 20,000 ms, which is 20 s.
Thus, by default, Windows terminates the process after 25 seconds.
All of these settings are located under HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop.
But that is not all. Quite often, the reason for a long shutdown is not a frozen program, but a service. To automatically terminate the service, set the value of the REG_SZ WaitToKillServiceTimeout parameter in the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Coritrol section. The value of this parameter is the timeout in seconds, the recommended values are from 1 to 60 seconds.
In addition, the reason for the slow shutdown of the computer, or even the reason that the computer does not turn off, may be running Terminal Services (Terminal Services), which is the basis for the remote desktop. If you do not need this service, disable it: as practice shows, this significantly reduces the time to turn off the computer.
If you disabled Terminal Services, disable Terminal Services as well)- Fast User Switching Compatibility.
To speed up the shutdown even more, you can turn off swap file cleanup. To do this, in the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlISet\ Control\Session ManagerNMemory Managemenl section, set the ClearPageFileAtShutdown parameter to 0.
Computer hangs when shutting down - computer won't turn off
Everything is much worse if the computer does not just shut down slowly, but freezes at the same time. Checking whether the computer is frozen or not is very simple: press on the keyboard
When a computer freezes, you also need to look for the cause in a malfunctioning driver or service, since freezing on shutdown is usually a sign of a hardware and software error, rather than just a software one. Driver - this is the bridge between "iron" and "mathematics", which failed.
As already mentioned, you need to download and install new versions of the drivers (although it is possible that the error has not been fixed). Hanging a service is easier to deal with - the previous section showed exactly what to do.
That's all the main reasons why computer won't turn off.
