Laptop turns back on automatically

Question

After shutting laptop off, it will automatically restart. I have already checked the shutdown settings and the turn on fast startup (recommended) was already unchecked. I am not able to keep the laptop turned off.

Answer 1

Thank you. I so appreciate your help.

Answer 2

Hello Kathleen Phillips!

Welcome to the Q&A forum.

From what you shared, I understand that your laptop turns back on automatically after shutdown, even after Fast Startup has been disabled. In addition to the suggestions provided by Q&A Assist, here are a few additional steps you can try.

1. Check Device Wake Settings

• Open Device Manager (right-click Start > Device Manager).
• Expand Network adapters, keyboards, mice, and USB controllers.
• Right-click each > Properties > Power Management tab.
• Uncheck "Allow this device to wake the computer.

2. Disabling Scheduled Tasks

• Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Type taskschd.msc and press Enter to open the Task Scheduler.
• In the Task Scheduler, look for any tasks that are set to run at a specific time.
• Right-click on the task and select Disable.

3. Disable Automatic Maintenance wake‑ups

• Open Control Panel
• Go to System and Security > Security and Maintenance
• Expand Maintenance
• Click Change maintenance settings
• Uncheck “Allow scheduled maintenance to wake up my computer at the scheduled time”
• Click OK and shut down the PC again

Please let me know whether these methods resolve the issue so we can determine the next steps if needed.

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Answer 3

The behavior is typically caused by Windows using a hybrid/fast startup–style shutdown (which is effectively a form of hibernation) or by a failed hibernation/shutdown sequence.

Even though the Turn on fast startup checkbox is already cleared in Power Options, Windows can still behave like hibernation is involved and fail to complete shutdown correctly. When that happens, the system may power back on instead of staying off.

Use these steps to rule out a Fast Startup/hibernation failure and force a full shutdown:

1. Perform a full shutdown via command line
   1. Right‑click Start and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).
   2. Run:

            shutdown /s /t 0
      

      This forces a full shutdown (no hybrid/fast startup). Confirm whether the laptop stays off.
2. If shutdown still fails or reverts to lock screen Windows can log a failure when trying to hibernate as part of shutdown. This is similar to the issue described where shutdown/hibernation fails and returns to the lock screen when Fast Startup is involved.
   1. Open Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System.
   2. Look for Event ID 45 related to hibernation/shutdown failures.
   3. If Event ID 45 is present, fix the dump filter configuration:
      1. Press Windows logo key + R, type regedit, press Enter.
      2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl\
      3. In the right pane, locate DumpFilters.
      4. Edit DumpFilters so that only dumpfve.sys is listed (remove any other entries).
      5. Close Registry Editor and restart the computer.
      6. After restart, shut down again and check whether the laptop now stays off.
   Editing the registry incorrectly can cause serious problems. Back up the registry first or create a restore point before making changes.
3. Use shutdown to explicitly choose behavior If needed, test both modes:
   • Full shutdown:

          shutdown /s /t 0
     

   • Hybrid (fast startup–style) shutdown:

          shutdown /s /hybrid /t 0
     

   If the laptop only powers back on after the hybrid shutdown, the issue is tied to the hibernation/fast startup path.

If the laptop still powers on by itself after a confirmed full shutdown, additional causes (such as wake timers, devices allowed to wake the PC, or firmware settings like Wake-on-LAN) would need to be checked, but those are not covered in the provided material.

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References:

• Fast startup causes hibernation or shutdown to fail in Windows 10 or Windows 8.1
• Error after you turn off a Windows 10-based computer from Audit mode: Your account has been disabled
• Updates may not be installed with Fast Startup in Windows 10