Microsoft fixes famous “update and shut down” Windows 11 bug

Microsoft has confirmed that it’s testing a fix in the latest Windows 11 preview builds that is supposed to address a long standing bug with Windows Update, where the “update and shut down” option that appears when an update is pending install didn’t actually shut down your PC.

For a while, users have reported that the “update and shut down” option that appears in the Start menu or Windows Update on Windows 11 would never actually turn the PC off. The update would install and restart your PC instead, bringing the device back to the lock screen or desktop.

This is an issue that has plagued Windows 11 users for well over two years, though it doesn’t appear to impact everyone all the time. Sometimes the update and shut down option would work, but for a lot of users it usually wouldn’t. It’s never been explained why said function was so unreliable, but Microsoft has now confirmed it’s being fixed.

The fix is present in the latest Windows 11 Dev and Beta Channel builds, which means it should roll out to all Windows 11 users in the coming weeks. Here’s the fix that’s mentioned in the current changelog: