I'm having a frustrating issue with my Windows 11 laptop that keeps rebooting on its own and won't shut down properly. I've checked the event viewer and suspected it might be related to the TPM or Secure Boot certificates. To troubleshoot, I disabled all wake options in both the BIOS and OS settings, but that didn't help. I even did a Windows 11 reset, thinking that would solve the 'ghost' reboot problem.
After running a BIOS diagnostic that showed everything seems fine, I thought the issue had to be something else. I tried holding the SHIFT key during shutdown, but still, the laptop started back up on its own later. Finally, after checking the power settings again, I found the laptop was set to sleep after a certain time, so I changed those settings to 'NEVER.' After that change, the laptop stopped rebooting by itself and respected the shutdown command, which was a relief!
Now, I'm curious if an unknown device driver could be causing issues with his sleep state, making the OS reactivate the laptop. Also, how do I find out what those 'Unknown Device' entries in Device Manager are? It feels like a mix of hardware and software problems here.
3 Answers
Before diving deeper, ensure that all external devices are unplugged from your laptop, except for the power cable. I’ve seen external hard drives or even a mouse cause similar issues where the laptop wouldn’t shut down properly. It might sound odd, but it’s worth a try!
Just a heads up, in a couple of months, there could be widespread issues with Secure Boot for those who use it. Microsoft's root certificates for Secure Boot are set to expire, and they've provided fixes through Windows updates. However, some older systems might need BIOS updates from manufacturers that aren’t around anymore. Just something to keep an eye on if you’re using Secure Boot!
Make sure your Windows is fully updated! There was a patch earlier this year that caused shutdown issues on some laptops related to Secure Boot. Keeping everything up to date can help avoid these glitches.
Yeah, I detached everything except the power brick. This issue happened even when using a separate dock and power source with no peripherals connected. Still keeping the demonic theory on the table, though! 'Don't fall asleep' is the takeaway here. 🙂