How to Bypass Installing Windows Updates when you Shut Down

Often when you go to shut down your PC, you see a yellow exclamation mark icon on the ‘Shut down’ button. This basically means that Microsoft has downloaded Windows updates in the background and will apply them to your PC as soon as you click the ‘Shut down’ button.

Depending on your Windows version and the size of the downloaded files, the time required for your PC to update and shut down can vary from a few seconds to several minutes.

There’s a simple way to bypass installing these updates and shut down your PC immediately. This method can be a life-saver if your laptop battery is low or if you’re in a hurry to shut down. The updates will then get deferred to the next time you switch on your PC. 

First, save any files you’re working on and close all the programs on your PC. Now press the Windows key+R to open your Run dialogue box, type cmd into it, then press Enter to open your Command Prompt. Type the following into it: shutdown –s –f –t 00 . Here, ‘-s’ means shutdown, ‘-f’ is the command to force-close any open programs (including ones in the background) and ‘00’ refers to the time-delay after which the command should be executed (instantly). Press Enter and your PC will shut down.