Too Many Programs Running

• When you shut down your computer, it goes through the chore of closing down everything currently running at the time. Some programs, such as anti-malware protection, can run constantly in the background when you use your computer, whether you see them operating or not. If there are numerous invisible programs like this running at the time of shutdown, your computer could take longer to completely close them all and possibly encounter a freeze due to the sheer amount of information running. Limit the number of programs running to alleviate your computer's struggle as it shuts down.
  
  

Malware Infestation

• Unexplained behavior from your computer could point to the presence of malware in the form of viruses, adware or spyware. These programs invade computers and set to work altering files and corrupting information. Malware infestation could corrupt and damage the operating system files necessary for shutdown, causing the computer to freeze. Always install malware protection software on your computer and keep it updated to defend your machine against these threats.
  
  

Damaged or Corrupted Files

• Your computer requires certain files to instruct it on the proper shutdown procedures for your operating system. If any of these files become corrupt or damaged, your computer won't know how to proceed during shutdown operations and will freeze. To correct this problem, use your computer's startup or recovery disk to try repairing the problematic files in your operating system.
  
  

Open Programs

• One of the first things your computer attempts to do when you order it to shutdown is to close any open programs before continuing with shutdown procedures. While this may seem a simple task, any number of files associated with these open programs could become corrupted or damaged as the computer attempts to close them. Always close any open or running programs before telling the computer to shutdown to avoid possible problems.
  
  

Registry Problems

• The registry in your computer's operating system holds the settings and other important information your computer requires to open programs and run properly. If the files in the registry become damaged or corrupted, your computer won't run or shut down properly. Registry cleaning programs help to scan and repair your registry, removing invalid entries and allowing it to perform correctly.