Windows 10: Turn On AutoEndTasks at Restart, Shut down, or Sign out of Windows 10

How to: Turn On AutoEndTasks at Restart, Shut down, or Sign out of Windows 10

How to Turn On or Off AutoEndTasks at Restart, Shut down, or Sign out of Windows 10


When apps (tasks) do not end (close) automatically when you are HungAppTimeout) by default before the End Task dialog appears asking you to cancel or to close the listed apps and restart anyway, shut down anyway, or sign out anyway.

If you do not make a choice in the End Task dialog before the 1 minute timeout expires, Windows 10 will automatically cancel the restart, shutdown, or sign-out by default.

For example, if you have notepad open with unsaved changes when you restart, shut down, or sign out.

If you turn on AutoEndTasks, Windows will instead of the above automatically close any apps and continue to restart, shut down, or sign out of Windows 10 without the End Task dialog.

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off the AutoEndTasks feature for automatically closing apps preventing restart, shutdown, and sign-out for your account or all users in Windows 10.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Turn On or Off AutoEndTasks for Current User Only
• Option Two: Turn On or Off AutoEndTasks for All Users

EXAMPLE: End Task dialog when restarting, shutting down, and signing out













OPTION ONE [/i] Turn On or Off AutoEndTasks for Current User Only

*note The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the string value in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

AutoEndTasks String value

0 = Off
1 = On

1. Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Turn On AutoEndTasks for Current User Only
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_On_AutoEndTasks_for_current_user_only.reg

Download

3. To Turn Off AutoEndTasks for Current User Only
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_Off_AutoEndTasks_for_current_user_only.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. sign in to apply.

8. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] Turn On or Off AutoEndTasks for All Users

*note You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the string value in the registry key below.

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

AutoEndTasks String value

(delete) = default
0 = Off
1 = On

1. Do step 2 (on), step 3 (off), or step 4 (default) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Turn On AutoEndTasks for All Users
*note This will override Option One above.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Turn_On_AutoEndTasks_for_all_users.reg

Download

3. To Turn Off AutoEndTasks for All Users
*note This will override Option One above.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Turn_Off_AutoEndTasks_for_all_users.reg

Download

4. To Undo AutoEndTasks for All Users
*note This is the default setting, and will allows users to use Option One above.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Undo_AutoEndTasks_for_all_users.reg

Download
5. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

6. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8. sign in to apply.

9. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Change HungAppTimeout Value in Windows 10
• How to Restart the Computer in Windows 10
• How to Shut Down the Computer in Windows 10
• How to Sign out of Windows 10

:)

 

Apps stopping windows from closing

Hello Kevin,

In addition, you can turn on AutoEndTasks using an option in the tutorial below to no longer see this message. Windows will automatically force close the hung app.

Turn On AutoEndTasks at Restart, Shut down, or Sign out of Windows 10

 

Sleep function for windows 10

I followed the power options and sleep was not available. It showed two buttons. One was Power button and gave options of: do nothing, hibernate, shut down, or turn off display. The other button was a sleep button: Options were do nothing, hibernate, or
turn off display.

Before I upgraded to windows 10 I had a working sleep function that was in the shut down or sign out menu. It now lists only sign out, hibernate, shut down, or restart.

 

Hello Jerry, *Smile

This seems to have changed in Windows 10.

If you leave the "End Task" dialog idle for a minute, Windows will automatically cancel the restart, shut down, or sign out instead of forcing the apps closed and continuing with the restart, shut down, or sign out.

As a workaround for what you want for now, you could do this below to make it close any apps preventing the restart, shut down, or sign out quickly, and continue.

1) Turn on AutoEndTasks.

2) Change HungAppTimeout to "1000".

Change HungAppTimeout Value in Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

 

You're most welcome. *Smile

 

Those 2 values might be useful as well:
Code: reg add "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v "WaitToKillAppTimeout" /t REG_SZ /d "5000" /f reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control" /v "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" /t REG_SZ /d "5000" /f[/quote]