Microsoft to Fix Windows 11 Forced Updates, Separate Shutdown and Update Options
Microsoft will fix Windows 11's forced update behavior, ensuring the power menu's Shutdown and Restart buttons execute immediately without installing pending updates. Starting April 2026, users must choose "Update and Shutdown" or "Update and Restart" to install updates. The change first appeared in Insider Build 26300.8289 and is now rolling out to stable users.
Windows 11 has completed a fix for its forced update behavior. In the updated system, the Shutdown and Restart buttons in the power menu will directly perform the corresponding action, no longer automatically installing downloaded updates before shutting down or restarting. Previously, once Windows updates were downloaded, the system would install them regardless of whether the user chose Shutdown or Restart, significantly prolonging the shutdown process.
In April 2026, Microsoft announced adjustments to the power menu, clearly separating power operations from update operations, offering four options: Shutdown, Restart, Update and Shutdown, and Update and Restart. Users who wish to install updates must actively select the "Update and Shutdown" or "Update and Restart" option, while ordinary shutdown or restart operations will execute immediately without triggering update installation.
This change first appeared in the Windows 11 Build 26300.8289 Insider test version in April 2026, and Microsoft has now begun pushing the update to stable users.