It is important that our PC works smoothly on a day-to-day basis, and accelerating the shutdown of Windows 10 is one of the optimizations that will allow us to save time by just checking some settings.
We’ve also explained how to speed up Windows 10 startup , which is an even more important trick, but there are some specific tips for shutting down. Nobody likes to spend too much time in front of the PC to make sure it has been shut down properly.
How to record screen in Windows 10
Sometimes we think that speeding up Windows 10 requires buying a new PC, despite the fact that with certain settings and tricks it can be optimized a lot . These are the ideas we propose in this regard:
Use quick startup / shutdown
Since Windows 8, the operating system skips some steps when turning on (not on reboots) thanks to the quick start mechanism, which is also capable of speeding up shutdown to a certain extent.
By default it should be active in Windows 10, it is possible to check it like this:
- We right click on the Start menu (Windows icon) and at the top of the drop-down we choose “Power Options” :
- In the window that opens, click on “Additional energy configuration” , located under the heading “Related configuration options” :
- In the next screen we go from the left side to “Choose the behavior of the on / off button” :
- We first touch on “Change the configuration currently not available” , then we can check the box of “Activate fast start (recommended)” if it is not:
Set the shutdown in the registry
The Windows registry is a delicate element, and we must be careful when following these steps , as they could damage the PC if we make incorrect changes.
The idea here is that Windows 10 waits less time for programs on shutdown , forcing them to close earlier, which helps speed up the process. This is what we should do:
- In the Windows 10 search bar (it may just be the magnifying glass icon) we type “regedit” and press enter to open the Registry Editor:
- We must choose “Yes” for the application to make changes to the device , and when the editor opens, in the left column we look for the following menu:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control
- In the right window we double click on “WaitToKillServiceTimeout” and a window will open to adjust the string:
- This value indicates the time to wait before forcibly closing programs in Windows 10, which by default is 5,000 milliseconds (5 seconds) when we turn it off.
- We can lower the value to 4000 (4,000 milliseconds or 4 seconds), which is the minimum advisable, or even more, although the programs could be closed incorrectly too frequently.
Detects programs that slow down shutdown
Sometimes the best way to speed up Windows 10 is to fix any errors you may be experiencing. Thanks to the Event Viewer, it is easy to find the programs that cause shutdown errors , as they are registered with the “event ID” number 203.
These are the steps:
- In the search engine of the Windows 10 task bar we type “eventvwr” and then enter to open the Event Viewer:
- From the menu on the left we look for the following route:
Applications and Services Registry -> Microsoft -> Windows -> Diagnostics-Performance
- Once located in “Diagnostics-Performance” we choose “Operative” in the central column, by double clicking.
- We choose the option “Filter current record” from the right panel:
- In the box that indicates “All event IDs” we put “203” and click on “Accept”:
- We will expand the central window and we will review the entries with id. Event 203 looking for programs that tend to fail to shutdown:
- If we find some software that usually generates errors, we can uninstall and reinstall the program , or directly do without it, to speed up the shutdown.
Attention to updates
It is important to update Windows 10 to the latest version to avoid vulnerabilities in the system and errors, but installing the patches lengthens the shutdown time , sometimes at the worst moment.
Since the Fall Creators Update version (late 2017) the improvements have been notable, since most of the process is done in the background while we use the PC, without us noticing.
In any case, if we are in a hurry, we must avoid clicking on “Update and shutdown” at startup, as the system will spend a few minutes installing the latest version:
In addition, it will also take a few minutes for the next power-up , which vary depending on the new features included.
Therefore, the “Update and restart” or “Update and shutdown” options will be used when we have time . Of course, without delaying many days, because sometimes they include important security patches.
After the Windows 10 October 2018 Update disaster, whose errors caused some users to lose files, Microsoft is less aggressive with updates. If you propose a new version in the shutdown menu, it will be because it is urgent (it fixes vulnerabilities) or it has been tested by a significant number of users, otherwise it only appears as optional from Windows Update in Settings.
Close the windows and use the shutdown button
Many times we use the Start menu to turn off the PC without closing the work we are doing, a daily gesture that can be accelerated just by looking a little.
It is best to close the programs by hand , by clicking on the cross in the upper right corner. Otherwise, some will slow down the shutdown by asking us if we want to save our work, or do it on their own automatically.
For example, Word or Photoshop displays notices to save documents that slow down and may even cancel shutdown, so it’s worth closing them by hand.
Once this is done, you do not have to go to the start menu, pressing the shutdown button directly executes the secure shutdown of Windows 10, a way to speed up our daily routines.
In some cases, the PC hangs by default, but it’s easy to customize the behavior of the Windows 10 power button to fix it.
Upgrade the hardware (or add an SSD)
In the end, an old computer will always take longer to shut down , as it requires many operations. Especially important are the performance of the processor and the hard disk to accelerate these moments.
Buying a new PC or changing the processor is expensive, and it is an investment that we must think about. On the other hand, if we have a traditional mechanical hard disk (HDD) it would be a good idea to change it for an SSD , which will significantly accelerate the entire operation of the computer.
At the time we already explained the differences between an HDD and an SSD , the latter being a much superior and increasingly economical option. Some laptops do not allow to replace the internal storage but, if we have the possibility, it is the best way to speed up a computer in every way .
In the end, there are quite a few tricks to speed up Windows 10 shutdown , although we shouldn’t expect huge improvements on older PCs. It is also possible to format Windows 10 without losing files , in case we consider that the computer needs to return to its initial state after a long time of use.
