Question:

What are the possible causes and solutions for a prolonged shutdown time on a Windows 11 PC with multiple SSDs and HDDs?

I have a desktop PC running Windows 11 pro 22H2 22621.3007 with a WD Black SN750 500GB NVMe SSD as the system drive and a Kingston 400GB SATA SSD and a WD BLUE 1TB HDD as additional drives. For the past few weeks, I have noticed that the PC takes an unusually long time to shut down, up to 5 minutes from the moment I click the shut down button until all the fans stop spinning. This is much longer than the boot, restart, hibernate, and resume times, which are all under a minute.

I have tried the following troubleshooting steps, but none of them have resolved the issue:

• Ran `sfc /scannow` and `DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth` commands to check and repair system files
• Deleted all the files in the system temp folder and the user %temp% folder
• Rebooted the PC multiple times

I

would appreciate any expert advice on what could be causing this prolonged shutdown time and how to fix it. Thank you.

Answer:

If you are experiencing a slow shutdown on your Windows 11 PC, you are not alone. Many users have reported this issue, especially after upgrading from Windows 10 or installing the latest updates. There are several possible causes and solutions for this problem, depending on your hardware and software configuration. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Fast startup: Fast startup is a feature that allows your PC to boot faster by saving some system information to a hibernation file when you shut down. However, this can also cause some issues, such as preventing your drives from being fully powered off, resulting in a longer shutdown time. To disable fast startup, go to Settings > System > Power & battery > Additional power settings > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable > Uncheck Turn on fast startup. Then, click Save changes and restart your PC.
• Background processes: Some background processes, such as antivirus software, cloud sync services, or update services, may be running when you try to shut down your PC, causing it to wait until they finish or timeout. To identify and terminate these processes, you can use the Task Manager. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open it, then go to the Processes tab and sort by CPU or Disk usage. Look for any processes that are using a lot of resources and end them by right-clicking and choosing End task. Alternatively, you can use a third-party tool, such as Process Explorer or Autoruns, to get more information and control over these processes.
• Corrupted system files: Sometimes, your system files may get corrupted due to malware, disk errors, or improper shutdowns, causing your PC to malfunction or slow down. To fix this, you can use the System File Checker (SFC) and the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tools. These are command-line tools that can scan and repair your system files. To use them, open an elevated Command Prompt by pressing Windows+X and choosing Command Prompt (Admin). Then, type the following commands and press Enter after each one:

“`

sfc /scannow

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

“`

Wait for the scans to complete and restart your PC. If you still have issues, you can try to reset your PC by going to Settings > Update & security > Recovery > Reset this PC > Get started. This will reinstall Windows 11 and keep your personal files, but you may need to reinstall some apps and drivers.

• Faulty hardware: Another possible cause of a slow shutdown is a faulty hardware component, such as a hard drive, a power supply, or a motherboard. To check your hardware, you can use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to test your RAM, the CHKDSK tool to check your disks, or the Device Manager to check your drivers. To access these tools, press Windows+R to open the Run dialog, then type the following commands and press Enter:

“`

mdsched.exe

chkdsk /f /r

devmgmt.msc

“`

Follow the instructions on the screen and restart your PC if prompted. If you find any errors or warnings, you may need to replace or update your hardware. You can also use a third-party tool, such as CrystalDiskInfo or HWMonitor, to monitor your hardware health and performance.

These

are some of the most common causes and solutions for a prolonged shutdown time on a Windows 11 PC with multiple SSDs and HDDs. However, there may be other factors that affect your PC’s performance, such as your BIOS settings, your power plan, or your registry entries. To optimize your PC, you can use a tool, such as Windows 11 Optimizer or CCleaner, to tweak these settings and clean up your system. You can also contact Microsoft support or a professional technician for further assistance. We hope this article was helpful and your PC shuts down faster. Thank you for reading.