In today’s guide, We will try to help you fix or disable This app is preventing shutdown or restart warning message. We are making this tutorial on a Windows 10 machine. But You can follow these instructions for Windows 11, Windows 8 or 8.1 as well.
An Important Thing
Hopefully one of 9 suggested solutions will work out for you But We don’t guarantee that this tutorial will 100 percent work. Causes may be different at your end.
Why This App Is Preventing Shutdown Or Restart Occur?
Theoretically, When one clicks on shutdown, It should shut down without any further action by Windows user.
But sometimes after you click on shutdown or restart, Windows halts shutdown with a message, This app is preventing shutdown or restart.
Computer or laptop stays on and the battery gets drained. If you don’t take notice and again don’t click shutdown anyway.
Though a malware, virus and other such things could be a reason behind this problem, But most of the time these things are not responsible. Basically This is not an error or problem.
This Is Basically Not An Error?
This is a warning or reminder from Windows that properly close opened programs and save your work. Some programs such as Skype, uTorrent takes longer to close.
The straightforward solution is, Click cancel to go back and close all programs that are mentioned in message.
After closing opened programs, Now shutdown, There should not be any problem.
Watch Video Tutorial
Registry Editor Fix
This warning message can be disabled via the Registry Editor. There are tons of videos on YouTube suggesting Registry Editor method.
But the downside of this method is that It doesn’t work out for most of Windows 10 users.
We’re not going to share mere Registry Editor fix. We will be sharing 9 possible solutions to get rid of this warning message. Let’s start off with the Registry Editor method.
Press Windows and R keys together to bring up the Run box.
Type in regedit and hit Enter button to launch Windows Registry Editor.
Backup Registry Keys Before Making Any Changes
Although there is no harm, But to be on the safe side, It is better to backup Registry Keys before making any changes. Backup will help you restore Registry Keys, If anything goes wrong.
How To Use Registry Editor?
After backup, Click on arrow to expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Look for Control Panel and expand it.
Now highlight Desktop.
From file menu, Click Edit.
Hover your mouse over New and click String to create a new String Value Key.
Rename it as AutoEndTasks with no space.
Double click on newly created String Value Key to modify it.
Kindly Set its value to 1 and click OK to exit.
Your device now needs to be rebooted. Close Registry Editor and Restart your machine for the changes to take effect.
Hopefully Your copy of Windows 10 will skip this message on next shutdown.
Updates
Skipping updates could also be a reason, It’s highly recommended to keep Windows, all installed web browsers and third party programs up to date. Do not disable Windows auto updates and try to update regularly. Uninstall programs that are not updated.
In addition to out-dated programs and Windows, Update device drivers. Sometimes out dated device drivers cause this warning message.
Disk Cleanup
Disk cleanup utility could help to get rid of this annoying message. Use Disk cleanup utility for all hard drive partitions to wipe out junk files and free up disk space. This utility is totally harmless and safe to use.
Let’s start off with Drive C. Right click on Drive C and then click on Properties.
Click on Disk Cleanup.
Click on Cleanup System Files option.
This will erase temporary installation, Windows update files, incomplete download files and other things. Check mark all options and click OK to begin clean up process.
Click Delete Files
Please wait, This might take a while depending on size of junk files
Use Third Party Uninstaller To Remove Unknown Programs
Have a look at installed programs and uninstall any unnecessary and unknown software. Check this out, 8 Best Uninstaller Softwares
Use Revo Uninstaller or any other good third party uninstaller software, If Programs and Features utility fails to uninstall.
Suggested – Revo Uninstaller Pro Vs Free Version
Disable Startup Items
Windows Startup items and Windows services could cause this warning message as well. System Configuration utility can be used to make Windows load only core or necessary Windows services and Startup items.
To do so, Go to Start Menu and type in System Configuration.
Open up System Configuration.
Tick Normal Startup option and Click Ok to save the settings. This option will only load or open necessary Windows services and device drivers.
System File Checker Utility
There is another method which is suggested by Windows PC optimization experts. Scan your PC with System file checker utility to restore and repair corrupted system files.
Before You proceed any further, Make sure You have administrator privileges. It requires you to have administrator privileges.
Go to Start Menu and type in CMD
Right click on command prompt and click on Run As Administrator.
Type this command sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
It may take some time. Normally It takes 10 to 20 minutes.
Clear all Event Logs
Clearing all Event Logs in Event Viewer could come in handy. Though We could not test it But We have seen on some tech forums that Windows 10 users have tested this method and It worked out for them.
We are not going to suggest to dig deep into Event Viewer’s complicated things. Instead You can use a .Bat file to clear all Event Logs with one click.
Download Windows Batch File
Click here to download Windows Batch File.
After download completes, Right click on the downloaded file and click Run As Administrator.
It will automatically clear all Event Viewer logs. It normally takes 1 to 3 minutes.
Use Adwcleaner
If You are a frequent visitor of websites providing with pirated software, games and movies, Then Your web browser could be a reason behind this warning message.
Websites with pirated content thrive on obscene and misleading advertisements. Piracy content websites are like land mines. These types of websites are designed in such a way that a wrong click could put you in a big trouble.
Unknowingly unintentionally you may download and install a malware, adware, spyware and other such thing in your web browser or computer.
If the problem is only in the web browser, then a free to use adware cleaner named ADWCleaner is enough to get rid of hijacker, adware, toolbars and other things.
This adware removal tool is easy to use. All You need to do is download ADWCleaner and scan web browsers and leave rest of the job to it. Click here to download ADWcleaner.
It doesn’t need to be installed. Double click to launch ADWCleaner after download completes.
Close any opened web browsers and start scanning all installed web browsers.
Click Next
Click OK
Click quarantine for the next step.
Click continue
A Restart is required to complete the removal process.
Use Antimalware
If previously mentioned solutions did not work out then Your copy of Windows is infected with malware, spyware and other such things.
Although Windows defender is good at detecting malware and other such things and It does not allow malware installation But If Windows defender fails and a desktop malicious software is installed and You don’t manage to uninstall it then You need a third party paid antimalware software.
Zemana AntiMalware, Hitman Pro, Malwarebytes are a few popular names in the world of computer and internet security.
Suggested – How To Enable Adobe Flash Player In Google Chrome?
Final Words
Team SoftSuggester & Simple Tutorials is quite positive one of nine suggested solutions will work out for you. Please do share in the comment section Which one worked for you or You know about any other solution. This would be a great help.
Please use the comment section for your questions If We could not explain anything properly. The comment section can also be used for precious suggestions and feedback.
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