Solved: This app is preventing shutdown windows 11 or 10

Sometimes you may encounter a message, “This app is preventing shutdown” when attempting to turn off or restart your Windows PC. This issue usually occurs when certain applications or background processes do not close properly, thereby blocking the shutdown process. It can be due to certain reasons, including software glitches, corrupt Windows files, unresponsive programs, or even background processes that aren’t behaving correctly. This article explores the causes behind this issue, “This app is preventing shutdown Windows 11” and provides step-by-step solutions to resolve it.

What to Do When App Prevents shutdown windows

This error usually prevents Windows shutdown or restart, as apps running in the background need to be properly shut down first. It’s recommended to close all running apps before shutting down or restart Windows PC. If you are still encountering similar issues, there may be Several factors that can contribute to this problem.

• Unsaved work in applications: Programs like Microsoft Word, Notepad, or web browsers may prompt users to save their work before exiting.
• Background processes running: Some applications continue running in the background, preventing the system from shutting down.
• Windows updates in progress: If Windows is installing updates, it may delay the shutdown process.
• Corrupt system files: Damaged or missing system files can interfere with normal shutdown procedures.
• Misconfigured system settings: Certain startup and shutdown settings can cause this issue.

Force Close the Application

Sometimes, applications do not terminate properly, either due to a system freeze or a software bug. If an app is preventing shutdown, manually closing it may resolve the issue.

When the shutdown prompt appears, note the name of the application causing the issue.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Locate the app under the Processes tab.
• Right-click on it and select End Task to forcefully close it.
• Try shutting down your PC again to check if the issue is resolved.

Disable Fast Startup

The Fast Startup feature allows Windows to boot quickly by saving system information to a temporary file. However, this can sometimes interfere with the normal shutdown process by keeping certain services or applications running in the background.

• Open Control Panel and navigate to Power Options.
• Click on Choose what the power buttons do.
• Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
• Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) to disable it.
• Click Save Changes and restart your PC. This ensures all applications and processes are fully closed before shutdown.

Perform a Clean Boot

A clean boot starts Windows with only essential services, It helps to determine whether a third-party application is causing the shutdown issue.

• Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
• Go to the Services tab and check Hide all Microsoft services to avoid disabling critical system functions.
• Click Disable all to turn off third-party services temporarily.
• Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
• Disable unnecessary startup items that may be interfering with shutdown.
• Restart your PC and attempt to shut it down again. If it works, one of the disabled programs was likely the cause.

Run System File Checker (SFC) and DISM Scan

Again, Corrupt system files can cause unnecessary services/ applications to run in the background which prevents Windows from shutting down, display messages like unknown app preventing shutdown Windows. Running an SFC scan helps repair these files, and a DISM scan ensures Windows system integrity is maintained.

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type command sfc /scannow and press Enter,
• Wait for the scan to complete, in addition, run DISM command to repair Windows image files: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• Once the scanning is complete 100%, restart your PC and check if the shutdown issue is resolved.

Run the Power Troubleshooter

Windows includes a built-in troubleshooting tool to diagnose and fix power-related issues that might be causing shutdown interruptions.

• Open Settings (Win + I).
• Navigate to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
• Scroll down and find Power.
• Click Run next to Power and follow the on-screen instructions.
• The troubleshooter will detect any power-related configuration problems and suggest fixes. Once completed, restart your PC and attempt to shut it down again.

Use Registry Editor to Force Shutdown

If Windows delays shutdown due to lingering applications, modifying the registry can instruct Windows to automatically terminate them.

Tweak 01:

• Press Windows + R, type regedit and ok to open the Windows registry editor.
• First back up registry database and navigate to the following: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control.
• In the right pane, double-click on WaitToKillServiceTimeout.
• Set the Value data to 500 or less.
• Click OK to save changes. Restart windows and check.

Tweak 2

• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
• In the right pane, right-click the empty space and choose New >DWORD Value.
• Rename the newly created DWORD (REG_DWORD) as AutoEndTasks.
• Double-click on it and change its value to 1 As shown image below.

• That’s all, Close the registry editor and restart Windows.

This forces applications to close automatically without manual intervention.

Adjust Group Policy Settings

If certain applications continuously prevent shutdown, adjusting Group Policy settings can override app shutdown prompts and ensure forced termination.

• Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
• Navigate to: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Shutdown Options
• Double-click Turn off automatic termination of applications that block or cancel shutdown.
• Select Enabled and click Apply.
• Restart your PC. This forces Windows to ignore app shutdown prompts and proceed with shutdown immediately.

If the problem persists, consider performing a system restore or reinstalling Windows to ensure a fresh system environment. Let us know in the comments which method worked for you.