Windows 10 freezes and ignores shutdown commands
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MellowPine42
My Windows 10 computer occasionally freezes completely. When I click the Start menu and choose Shut down or Restart, nothing happens, and other apps stop responding too. The only way I've found to power it off is by holding down the physical power button. What could be causing this, and what troubleshooting steps should I try?
Answers
Recent updates, a stuck background process, or damaged system files could be causing the lockups. Check whether the issue started after an update, and consider using System Restore to return to an earlier restore point. It would also be worth checking Task Manager and running Windows’ system file repair tools when the computer is working normally.
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Try pressing Alt+F4 while you’re on the desktop. It should open the Windows shutdown dialog, which can help determine whether the Start menu is the problem or whether Windows itself is unresponsive.
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When the screen freezes, try pressing Ctrl+Shift+Win+B. That restarts the graphics driver and may bring the display back without forcing the computer off. Also check whether the entire system is frozen or only the Start menu—if other apps still respond, the problem may be limited to the Windows shell.
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