If you’re like most people, you probably don’t give much thought to how your computer works – you just want it to work. So, encountering issues can be an annoying ordeal, regardless of what the problem is. Shutting down and starting up is one of the most common issues people encounter using their laptops. In this article, we explore some of the reasons why a computer running Windows 8.1 won’t shut down and possible solutions to them.
windows 8.1 won’t shut down
If you’ve recently upgraded to Windows 8.1, you may have noticed that your computer won’t shut down properly. Several users have made a similar complaint. There are many possible reasons for this issue, but the most likely one is that your computer is still running some of the old Windows 8 files.
What Are Some Quick Fixes To This Shut Down Issue?
The good news is that we have got some tricks up our sleeves to make sure a solution is reached for this kind of issue. If you’re having trouble getting Windows 8.1 to shut down, here are a few things you can try.
Our first recommendation is that you hold the power button until the system shuts down. Usually, this is a quick fix for making most computer systems shut down quickly whenever it is encountering an issue. Or, navigate to the Start menu and click on the Power button. From there, you should see an option to shut down your computer.
Another way of achieving this is by clicking on the power button together with the shift key, that is; the shift + power button. This attempts to open an interactive menu displaying the shutdown and restart menu. For those who are more programming inclined and understand how command prompts and other back-end commands work, there is yet another way. Navigate to the command prompt and attempt to force a shutdown through the right codes and configurations.
Again, if none of this seems to be working, it is time to throw your laptop away — oops, just kidding. Using the Windows recovery panel can be another way to find a solution to this issue. But if this fix also proves negative, our final advice would be a re-install of the existing windows on the device.
But Why Is This Happening?
Remember to breathe, We’ve all been there – trying to shut down your computer, but for some reason, the window just won’t close. There are a few possible reasons for this, including:
– Your computer is still working on a task and needs to finish it before it can shut down
– There are still open programs or windows that need to be closed
– Something is obviously messing with your device’s shutdown process.
Some Specific Causes and Fixes for the Windows 8.1 version
- Turn off the Hybrid Feature: Specific to windows 8.1 is the hybrid sleep feature. For many windows users, the sleep and hibernate features are not new, as they help with saving battery and power consumption. Both the sleep and the hibernate feature are found on almost all versions of windows — old and new. However, this hybrid sleep, unique to the 8.1 version is a fast-boot feature to enable the device to save its drivers and kernel sessions to the disk.
This feature speeds up booting time as kernel sessions are not completely shut down but hibernated. Despite its advantages, this feature can also be one reason why a computer system would refuse to shut down correctly. The fix for this is simple, turn off the hybrid sleep feature. Disabling this process on windows 8.1 is one way to rectify the shutdown issue.
- Uninstall Any Recent Update: If you notice that this shutdown issue comes up after an update has been installed, it is advised to turn off or uninstall the updates. Rolling back to the previous version can be the salvation for the situation.
To uninstall recent updates, simply navigate to the Control panel. This is done by holding the Windows key and hitting X simultaneously. After this, locate the programs and feature tab followed by Tasks. After clicking on Tasks, find the View Installed updates, locate the recent items updates and click Uninstall.
After this is done, check and confirm that the problem with the shutting down has been fixed.
3. Inspect Hard Drives: An error from one of the hard drives could be the reason for your computer’s refusal to shut down. Usually, when Windows saves a file to a corrupted drive this can often result in a very slow shutting-down process or even totally prevent the computer from shutting down at all.
One way of verifying this is by using the error-checking utility available in Windows to check for faulty drives. To do this, navigate to “My Computer” on your device and right-click on the device’s hard drive, which is usually named drive C:
After doing this, click on Properties, scroll to Tools and then click on Check, found within the “Error-checking.” If all goes right, after clicking on Error checking, a pop-up comes up with two options, click both option and boom, and the process for checking for faulty drives begin.
- Check and Restart the Power Plan: If you are new to this term, the Windows Power Plan is not the power button. It is a tool in your device that enables it to determine the amount of power to use or save. The power plan comes in multiple options. They are; Power savers, Balanced and High
performance. Each option is optimized to offer different performance and power consumption. The default option for the Windows 8.1 version is the Balanced option.
Therefore, one thing to consider when trying to fix this issue of the Windows 8.1 shut down the device running, the power plan is one thing to confirm. One way of navigating to this option is by pressing the Windows key + R. Then type the word “powercfg.cpl” in the search box. This will lead straight to the power plans. Ensure to check the current power option and then restore to the default option.
Don’t forget to restart the device. This helps in confirming that the fix is effective.
- Windows Troubleshooter Can Be of Help: Every Windows user knows that one general method of solving any issue or finding out the reason for any error on a PC is by running the Windows troubleshooter. Windows has this amazing function that runs a diagnostic check for all errors and determines the cause.
To find the troubleshooting option, do a search on windows and click on the options that are displayed
Navigate to the part of the options you think the error could be coming from and then run the troubleshooter. After running this option, the troubleshooter will then attempt to provide a list of possible causes for the problem. Click the “View detailed information” to see what was stated as the cause. Make sure to hit restart to confirm that the problem is fixed.
Conclusion
If you are having trouble shutting down your Windows 8.1 computer, you are not alone. Many users have reported this issue. There are a few potential causes, such as a corrupted shutdown process or a problem with a specific driver. If you are still having trouble, make sure to reach out to the customer support from where you purchased the computer device and let them know so they can help you troubleshoot the problem.
There is also the possibility of a virus infection as viruses are known to prevent the normal working conditions of computer systems. The options here can either be running a trusted antivirus scan to check your computer’s processes or detecting the possible solutions. Regardless of what the issue could be, encountering issues like this is always a terrible way to ruin a person’s day. Try not to punch your laptop’s screen in frustration. Breathe in and understand that these are all common issues that can be solved.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What are some other quick fixes I can use to solve this shutdown issue on other Windows versions?
Regardless of the version of windows, your device is running, there are a few common methods that can be used as a form of quick hack to solve the shutdown issue. Some of these are;
– Make sure all programs and windows are closed.
– Also, use an antivirus and try doing a scan to ascertain that no virus or malware is preventing your booting and shutdown process.
2.Can I still use windows 8.1 on my computer in 2022?
Although all versions of the Windows operating software have their uniqueness and can appeal to different users, it is important to note that users running older versions might stand the risk of being cut off from recent updates. Currently, the windows 8.1 operating system no longer receives an update from its manufacturers, and support has been discontinued. Also, Microsoft already mentioned that by 2023, the windows 8.1 version will no longer receive security updates or protection.
