Typically, you can shut down your computer without any problem, while sometimes, you may get a message: Closing 1 app and shutting down. If you frequently receive this error message, this MiniTool post would like to introduce you to some practical methods.

The error message, closing 1 app and shutting down, informs that there are one or more apps or programs still running before the Windows shuts down. Sometimes, you can successfully shut down the computer when the program is closed, however, you may back to the desktop when failing to shut down. How to fix this problem? There are three methods to help you fix this problem. 

closing 1 app and shutting down

Fix 1: End the App in Task Manager

Sometimes, you can figure out which app is preventing you from shutting down the computer from the on-screen information. At this time, you can click the Cancel button to close the app. Here is how to close the app in Task Manager.

Step 1: Right-click on the Windows icon at the bottom left and choose Task Manager from the menu.

Step 2:  Browse the list under the Processes tab to choose the problematic app.

Step 3: Right-click on the app and choose End task from the context menu.

end the task in Task Manager

Fix 2: Find the Problematic App via Event Viewer

However, in some cases, there is no app icon or full name of the app on the screen. Don’t worry, you can check the problematic app via Event Viewer. Please keep reading and follow the steps to find out the app.

Step 1: Press Win + S, type Event Viewer, then click Enter to open the window.

Step 2: Head to Windows Logs > Application. You can look for the Level list to find one that matches the date and time when you get the Closing 1 app and shutting down error message. Please note the Source information should be Winsrv.

Step 3: Double-click on the information choice to open the properties window where you can find the name of the problematic program.

find the problematic problem

When you encounter an unknown app preventing shutdown, you can use this method to find it out. Afterward, you can try to close the program or force-end the task via Task Manager with the steps in Fix 1 to fix the this app is preventing Windows from shutting down error.

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Fix 3: Create the AutoEndTasks in Windows Registry

The last method is to create an AutoEndTasks registry key to automatically end the running programs before the computer shuts down. The AutoEndTasks feature sets a time limit for the running applications to end when the computer is shutting down. This feature helps to prevent data loss or system crashes. Work with the following steps to create the corresponding registry key.

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run window.

Step 2: Type regedit and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.

Step 3: Navigate to HKEY_USERS > .DEFAULT > Control Panel > Desktop. Right-click on the blank space of the right pane and choose New > String Value.

Step 3: Rename the newly created key to AutoEndTask.

Step 4: Double-click on the AutoEndTask key to change the Value data to 1 and click OK to save the change.

create the AutoEndTask

Further Reading: Recover Files Lost Due to Closing 1 App and Shutting Down

As we mentioned before, system crashes or running unresponsive applications may lead to data loss. If you forcefully shut down the computer, you’d better check whether your important files are lost or not. If files are lost, you should recover them immediately.

Firstly, go to check the Recycle Bin to see if the missing files are sent here. If not, reliable data recovery services can be your choice. MiniTool Power Data Recovery is one of the best free file recovery software for Windows. This software can not only recover types of files but is also equipped with plenty of features to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of data recovery.

If needed, you can download and install MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free to deep scan and recover 1GB of files for free.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

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Bottom Line

This is all about how to solve the Closing 1 app and shutting down error. This post tells you how to resolve the problem whether the problematic app is known or not. Hope it gives you some useful information in fixing this problem.

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