When you click on the “Shut down” button, you expect your computer to turn off completely. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. The screen may go black in rare cases, but the fans and motherboard are still working. Let’s see what you can do to quickly solve the problem.
Fix: Windows Shuts Down, but PC Stays On
Force Your PC to Shut Down
Press and hold down the Power button for 5-10 seconds, and check if you notice any changes. Additionally, press the Shift key and then shut your machine down. If your machine is still on, unplug the power cord. If you’re using a laptop, remove the battery and wait for one minute before reinserting it and turning your device back on.
Of course, these are only band-aid solutions. Go to the next steps to solve the problem in the long term.
Run the Power Troubleshooter
Windows computers have a built-in Power troubleshooter that you can use to automatically fix general issues related to your power and sleep settings.
Go to Settings, select System, go to Troubleshoot, and then scroll down to Other troubleshooters. Locate and run the Power troubleshooter.
Disable Fast Startup
Fast Startup is a power option that puts your computer into a hibernation state instead of a full shutdown. In other words, your machine won’t shut down completely. The problem is that this option is enabled by default if your computer supports it. That could explain why your machine doesn’t fully shut down.
Here’s how you can disable Fast Startup:
- Go to Control Panel.
- Navigate to Hardware & Sound.
- Go to Power Options.
- In the left-hand panel, click on Choose what the power button does.
- Then, click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
- Untick the Turn on fast startup (recommended) checkbox.
Save the settings, restart your machine, and then shut it down. Check if your computer shuts down completely.
Reinstall Your Drivers
Corrupted, outdated, or missing drivers may cause various glitches and issues on your computer, including shutdown issues. Oftentimes, your video driver is the culprit. Try uninstalling and reinstalling your graphics driver. Don’t just update it; you need to uninstall and reinstall it.
- Launch Device Manager.
- Expand the list of Display adapters.
- Right-click on your graphics driver.
- Select Uninstall device.
- Restart your computer to automatically reinstall the driver.
Check if there’s an exclamation mark next to other drivers. This indicates the respective drivers are faulty. You need to update them or reinstall them to solve the problem.
Disable Power Management for USB Devices
Try disabling power management for all your USB devices, and check if this solution does the trick.
- Launch the Device Manager.
- Scroll down to USB Controllers.
- Right-click on the first entry and select Properties.
- Then, click on the Power Management tab.
- Untick the checkbox that reads Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
- Repeat these steps for all your devices.
Update BIOS/UEFI
If nothing works, update BIOS to the latest version, and check if this solution solves your shutdown problems.
Go to your computer manufacturer’s website. Then, download the latest BIOS or UEFI version for your device and copy it to a USB flash drive. Restart your machine, enter the BIOS/UEFI menu, and install the latest BIOS/ UEFI version.
The steps to follow to update BIOS may vary depending on your manufacturer. For more information and step-by-step instructions, go to your computer manufacturer’s support page.
- What is BIOS and How to Update the BIOS on Your Dell System
- How to Update BIOS Software on HP PCs
- How to update system BIOS – Windows
Conclusion
If your computer won’t shut down completely, press the Power button to force it to turn off and unplug the power cord. Then, run the Power troubleshooter, and disable Fast Startup. Additionally, uninstall and reinstall your graphics drivers. If the issue persists, disable Power Management for all USB devices, and update BIOS.
