Windows 8.1: shutdown takes forever - what to do?

When shutting down Windows 8.1. lasts forever, there are several approaches you can take to address the problem. In this practical tip we will show you what you can do.

Shutdown in Windows 8.1 takes forever: Customize Session Manager

You can customize the session manager in the registry. However, this process is only suitable for experienced users.

1. Move the mouse to the lower right corner of the screen and click on the magnifying glass icon for the search. Enter "regedit" in the search field and confirm with "Enter".
2. Click in the registry to the path "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ SessionManager".
3. Now double click on "BootExecute". In the following window delete all entries except "autocheck autochk *".
4. Confirm the entry with "Ok", close the registry and restart your PC. Then shut down the PC to see if it still takes that long.

Disable hybrid boot in Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 starts in the hybrid boot by default. This is supposed to speed up the quick start, but can also be to blame if Windows 8.1 takes a long time to shutdown. To disable the hybrid boot:

1. Open the control panel.
2. Select "System and Security" and then "Power Options".
3. In the left side menu, click on "Select what should happen when the computer is closed" and select "Some settings are currently not available" in the next window.
4. Scroll down to "Shutdown Settings" and remove the checkmark next to "Enable Quick Start".
5. Save the settings, restart your PC and try whether it then shuts down faster.

Shutdown Windows 8.1: Devices and adapters as a source of errors

Broken or incorrect drivers of devices and adapters can also be a possible cause for the very slow shutdown of Windows 8.1.

1. Remove all connected devices such as printers, hard drives or scanners.
2. Open the device manager. Here you should test-deactivate all adapters that are not absolutely necessary. These include, for example, Bluetooth, modems, network adapters or audio. To deactivate, right-click on the adapter and select "Deactivate" in the context menu.
3. Check if Windows 8.1 shuts down faster now.

Windows 8.1: System restore for faster shutdown

If you know roughly how long the problem has existed, you can reset the system to this point in time. In Windows 8.1, system recovery is not that easy to find.

1. Open the control panel.
2. Navigate to "System and Security" and on to the "Maintenance Center". Scroll down and click "Restore" at the bottom left.
3. In the next screen, click on "Open System Restore". If you click "Next" in the pop-up, you can determine the desired recovery time. The prerequisite is that you have set at least one restore point. Instructions for this can be found in another practical tip.
4. If you have performed the system restore, check whether Windows shuts down again without any problems.

Sometimes it only helps to completely reinstall your operating system. We will show you how this works under Windows 8 without a CD in the next practical tip.