If Windows 11 shuts down slowly, try these steps: disable Fast Startup, close background apps via Task Manager, perform a clean boot, update or roll back drivers, scan for malware, and adjust HungAppTimeout and WaitToKillAppTimeout in the Registry to speed up shutdown.

If your Windows 11 system is taking too long to shut down or reboot, it could be due to background processes, software conflicts, or system settings. Here are several ways to resolve this issue:

The operating environment of this tutorial: Dell XPS 13, Windows 11 Pro

1. Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startup is designed to reduce boot time but can sometimes interfere with the shutdown process, causing delays. Disabling it may help the system perform a complete shutdown.

• Press Windows R, type control, and press Enter to open Control Panel.
• Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
• Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
• Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended).
• Select Save changes.

2. End Background Applications Before Shutdown

Some applications continue running in the background and prevent the system from shutting down quickly. Forcibly closing them before shutdown can reduce wait time.

• Press Ctrl Shift Esc to open Task Manager.
• Under the Processes tab, identify any non-essential applications consuming CPU or disk resources.
• Select each one and click End task.
• Attempt shutdown after closing unnecessary programs.

3. Perform a Clean Boot

A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, helping identify if third-party services are causing the delay.

• Press Windows R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
• Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
• Switch to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
• Disable all startup items listed.
• Restart the computer and test shutdown speed.
• If improved, re-enable services incrementally to identify the culprit.

4. Update or Roll Back Device Drivers

Outdated or incompatible drivers, especially for storage and chipset devices, can cause system hang-ups during shutdown.

• Press Windows X and select Device Manager.
• Expand categories like Disk drives, System devices, and Display adapters.
• Right-click individual devices and choose Update driver.
• Select Search automatically for updated driver software.
• If the issue started recently, right-click a suspect driver and choose Properties > Roll Back Driver if available.

5. Check for Malware Infection

Malicious software can run hidden processes that delay system shutdown. A full system scan is essential to rule this out.

• Open Windows Security from the Start menu or via Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security.
• Select Virus & threat protection.
• Under Current threats, click Scan options.
• Choose Full scan and select Scan now.
• Allow the scan to complete and follow remediation steps if threats are found.

6. Adjust Registry Settings for HungAppTimeout

This registry value controls how long Windows waits for unresponsive applications before terminating them during shutdown. Reducing it can speed up the process.

• Press Windows R, type regedit, and press Enter.
• Navigate to:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
• Locate the entry named HungAppTimeout. If it doesn’t exist, you can create it as a String Value.
• Double-click it and set its value to 2000 (milliseconds).
• Also look for WaitToKillAppTimeout and set it to 2000.
• Restart the computer for changes to take effect.

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