This App is Preventing Shutdown or Restart (No Name)

Published by Nyau Wai Hoe - Updated on

Windows users have been experiencing an issue where their computers won’t shut down or restart because of an unknown app preventing it. This problem has been reported by users since Windows 10 and is still present in Windows 11. The error message displayed on the screen simply says “This app is preventing you from shutting down” or “This app is preventing you from restarting”. The frustrating thing is that there is no name associated with the app, only an icon.

It’s an annoying problem that can lead to forced shutdowns, data loss, and other issues. The issue often appears with an empty label that makes it challenging to identify the app that’s causing it. In this article, we will provide some solutions and recommendations that can help you identify and fix the issue of an unknown app preventing shutdown or restart.

This App is Preventing Shutdown No Name

Unknown app preventing shutdown or restart on Windows 11 or 10

The issue is that there is a process that has not terminated, so the operating system is preventing the shutdown or restart. Windows is aware of the process, but it doesn’t know how to display its name. This can be confusing and alarming to users, who might wonder if their computer has been hacked or infected with a virus.

The issue might be caused by a buggy feature in the operating system that prevents the display of the process name. It’s also possible that the process is a background executable that doesn’t have a “title bar” name, which is why Windows can’t display it.

How to fix the issue

Here are some recommended solutions that may help you fix the issue of an unknown app preventing shutdown or restart on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Disable all programs at Windows startup

To isolate the issue, try to disable all programs at Windows startup. However, the process of disabling all programs at startup can be time-consuming, especially if you have several programs running. If you have trouble identifying which programs to disable, you can use Microsoft’s built-in tool called Task Manager. Here’s how:

  1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on the Startup tab.
  3. Right-click on each program you want to disable and select “Disable” from the context menu.Disable programs on Windows startup
  4. Restart your computer and see if the issue persists.

If the issue stops occurring, try re-enabling the programs one by one and restart your computer to identify which program is causing the problem.

Disable all services on Windows Startup

An unknown app preventing shutdown or restart may also be caused by a service that starts with Windows. Disabling all services on Windows startup can help you identify which service is causing the issue. Here’s how to disable all services on Windows startup:

  1. Go to Start menu and type “msconfig“.
  2. Select “System Configuration from the search result.MSConfig System Configuration Windows 11
  3. In the System Configuration window, click on the Services tab.
  4. Check the “Hide all Microsoft services” option.
  5. Click on the “Disable all” button to disable all third-party services.Disable services on Windows Startup
  6. Restart your computer.

After restarting your computer, check if the issue is resolved. If the issue is resolved, you can enable the services one by one to identify which one is causing the issue. To enable a service, follow these steps:

  1. Open the System Configuration window again.
  2. Click on the Services tab.
  3. Select the first service that you want to re-enable.
  4. Click on the “Enable” button.Fix Unknown app preventing shutdown Windows 11
  5. Restart your computer.
  6. Check if the issue is still resolved. If the issue is resolved, you can move on to the next service. If the issue reoccurs, you have identified the service that is causing the issue.
  7. Repeat the process for each service and startup program until you have identified the one that is causing the issue.

Note: The “Hide all Microsoft services” option is an essential step when disabling all services on Windows startup because it ensures that you do not accidentally disable any essential system services. Microsoft services are critical for the proper functioning of Windows, and disabling them can cause severe system issues. By checking the “Hide all Microsoft services” option, you ensure that only third-party services are disabled, leaving all essential Microsoft services enabled.

Run a full virus scan

If you suspect that the unknown app preventing shutdown or restart is a virus or malware, run a full virus scan on your computer. You can use the built-in Windows Defender or any third-party antivirus program that you trust.

  1. Open Windows Security by clicking on the shield icon in the taskbar or searching for it in the Start menu.
  2. Click on the “Virus & threat protection” tab.
  3. Select “Scan options” and choose “Full scan“.Windows Security Defender Full Scan
  4. Click on “Scan now” and wait for the scan to complete.
  5. If the scan detects any threats, follow the instructions to remove them.

Check the icon of the app with no name

It’s also a good idea to check if the unknown app comes with an icon that is not the default system icon. You can identify the app by reverse searching the icon. This will help you identify the app causing the issue.

This App is Preventing Restart No Name

Close apps from the System Tray

If the previous solutions didn’t work, you can try closing apps from the system tray one by one and checking if the issue persists. The moment your computer shuts down, you’ll know which app caused it, and you can disable automatic startup for this app.

This app is preventing you from shutting down

Identify the unknown app

If you can’t identify the unknown app by its icon, you can try using Windows’ built-in resource monitor tool to identify the program that’s causing the issue. Here’s how:

  1. Press the Win + R keys and type “resmon” in the Run dialog box.
  2. Click on the “CPU” tab and sort the processes by CPU usage.
  3. Look for any process that has a high CPU usage and a high number of threads. This is usually an indication that the process is preventing shutdown or restart.Check unknown app preventing shutdown Windows 11
  4. Double-click on the process to see more details about the process, such as its location and the file path.
  5. Once you identify the process, you can either stop it manually or disable its startup.

Use the command line to shutdown your computer

If you can’t identify the unknown app causing the problem, you can use an alternative method to shut down your computer. Here’s how:

  1. Go to Start menu and search for “cmd“.
  2. Right-click Command Prompt from the search result and select “Run as administrator“.
  3. Type “shutdown /s /t 0” and press Enter. This will kill the process and shutdown your computer.

Alternative method to Shutdown Windows 11

Check for pending updates

Sometimes, an unknown app preventing shutdown or restart may be caused by pending Windows updates. The updates may contain bug fixes and improvements that can resolve the issue. Here’s how to check for pending updates:

  1. Press Win + i to open “Settings”.
  2. Click on “Windows Update” from the left pane.
  3. Click on “Check for updates“.
  4. If there are any updates available, click on “Download and install” to install them. If there is any pending updates that require a restart, click “Restart now“.Check for Windows Update

After installing the updates, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

Use System Restore

If the issue started occurring after installing a new app or making changes to your system, you can use System Restore to roll back your system to a previous point in time when the issue didn’t exist. After the system restore process is complete, check if the issue is resolved.

It’s important to note that you need to have a previously saved restore point. System Restore is a Windows feature that creates restore points at regular intervals or when significant changes are made to the system, such as installing new software or drivers. Restore points allow you to roll back your system to a previous point in time when the issue didn’t exist. If you don’t have a previously saved restore point, you won’t be able to use this solution. It’s a good idea to regularly create restore points so that you have a backup plan in case of any system issues.

To wrap things up

The issue of an unknown app preventing shutdown or restart is a frustrating problem that can lead to forced shutdowns and data loss. If you’re experiencing this problem, don’t panic. There are several solutions and recommendations that you can try to fix the issue.

You can disable all programs and services at Windows startup, run a full virus scan, identify the unknown app by its icon or using Windows’ built-in resource monitor tool, or use the command line to shut down your computer. Remember to keep your system up to date, and if the problem persists, seek professional support.


Nyau Wai Hoe
Nyau Wai Hoe is the Founder and Chief Editor of WindowsDigitals.com. With a degree in software engineering and over 12 years of experience in the tech support industry, Nyau has established himself as an expert in the field, with a primary focus on the Microsoft Windows operating system. As a tech enthusiast, he loves exploring new technologies and leveraging them to solve real-life problems.

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