Windows 10 - Program Manager preventing shutdown. Solutions?

This recently started happening.

I have let this issue go on for a few months now and System Restore is not a viable option.

Additionally, coming from Windows 7 to 10 (different PC) there is this window that always appears on the Task View to the right with the small Task View image (pic attached below). I don't know if that's related or not. But it's annoying and more often than not, if I manually close that blank window I don't (usually) get the Program Manager error, but it's not a constant.

As such, what are the fixes that are non-invasive such as going into the Group Police Editor and finding out which apps might be impacting shutdowns?

Is it me or are the OP's first two sentences contradictory?

"This recently started happening" and "I have let this issue go on for a few months now".

If it is "just recently" then the OP might try to remember if they installed something that might have caused it. Of course I would not expect anyone to remember what they did "a few months ago now".

Try3 said:

Sammy,

Program manager

Is anything running called Program manager or similar in
Task manager, Processes tab
or the response to this command in a Cmd / PS window

Code:

TaskList

You might find it more convenient to search a text file so you could use something like this with a path of your own instead of my example path

Code:

TaskList >D:\Desktop\TaskListResults.txt

Is there any further info in the message you see when it prevents shutdown? Such as an icon? Perhaps you could post a photo of it.

Unfortunately not. The shutdown message appears really quickly and then W10 closes it. I did a search for TaskListResults.txt and I wasn't able to find it.

Do you have any comments about the taskview I posted earlier? Where it's just an empty screen with the task window (I came from Windows 7) so Windows 10 has some nuances I'm not familiar with 👇

dalchina said:

'Program Manager' here isn't a real program, rather some sort of legacy message triggered by something else. There are many reports of this historically, and some threads (unsolved) on tenforums.

Now that makes 100% sense. I installed an old Logitech gaming mouse and I came across some comments in forums about it causing this very issue. I since uninstalled the mouse and stopped using and used Revo Uninstaller including CCleaner to remove it completely. I manually scanned the registry and I even ran SFC but the issue remains, but it's intermittent, about 8x out of 10x it works. When I use Process Hacker to Log Off and then Shut down normally through Windows I don't get the message and brief pause.

Maybe I should wait until a full release of W10 and then reinstall the factory image that came with my laptop and then upgrade instead of wasting my time and troubleshooting.

wiganken said:

Is it me or are the OP's first two sentences contradictory?
"This recently started happening" and "I have let this issue go on for a few months now".

If it is "just recently" then the OP might try to remember if they installed something that might have caused it. Of course I would not expect anyone to remember what they did "a few months ago now".

Thank you for sharing your insightful and helpful comment.

Try3 said:

You can clean install Windows 10 without reverting to your old OS first.
Check in Settings, updates, Activation that you are activated with a digital licence. You will be, I'm sure.
That means that your activation is saved on MS servers & your Windows 10 will automatically reactivate if you reinstall it. It just gets done when you unext go online withoutu any action being required on your part.
Clean Install - TenForumsTutorials

Oddly enough, after making my post above, I restarted my laptop because it became unresponsive. Windows wouldn't boot at all, I had to do a system refresh/reinstall of Windows 10 but keeping my apps et al. Unfortunately, the Program issue remained.

I said screw it. I reinstalled Windows 10 Pro full from factory image which wiped everything on C drive. There were no issues with the installation. I expected it to revert to Windows 10 Home but it didn't. Moments ago, the Program Manager error returned when I went to shut down.

The only apps I have installed are the following: Office 2019, Foxit Phantom Business PDF, Chrome, Firefox, CCleaner, Klite codecs (Windows Media Player Classic), Revo Uninstaller, and Internet Download Manager (IDM). I never had this Program Manager issue on a Windows 7 system with the same apps I am currently using. So it's clearly a Windows 10 issue.

There is a thread I also replied to where some users experienced the same problem as me. Hopefully this problem will be remedied by Windows 11 or maybe it's a Lenovo, NVIDIA problem.