Cleaning Up, Do Not Turn Off Your Computer - How to Fix

If your laptop is stuck on Cleaning up do not turn off your computer, you should wait a little and then worry. In this article, we will try to articulate the possible reasons and fixes to get rid of the issue to remove your worries.

Just like this user on Reddit, if you are also stuck on the cleaning-up screen with no options to do anything, you can force the OS to do things. Before that, let us see some common reasons why this issue happens:

Solutions to 'Cleaning Up, Do Not Turn Off Your Computer' Error

Now, if you are stuck on the Cleaning Up screen, you cannot do anything except for watching. But you can force Windows to perform simple fixes to escape this situation.

Fix 1️⃣ Power On and Wait for the Cleaning Up Process to Finish

If the Windows is perfectly fine, the cleaning process will be done in 15 odd minutes. If the duration exceeds that, then it could be a problem. Also, the Disk cleanup duration depends on the number of junk files you have and how clean the system is. The cleaning-up process can be tedious if you don't clean your disk frequently or the storage space is almost full.

But what is the wait time? If your update gets stuck after reaching a percentage, the waiting may help. If the update or cleaning up is delayed from the server side, it resumes once the issue gets cleared.

Fix 2️⃣ Perform Startup Repair

If the laptop screen is stuck in the "Cleaning up. Do Not Turn off Your Computer" loop, remove it using the Startup repair. Invoke the WinRE with the installation disc and start the process.

Step 1. Connect the Windows Installation Disc to your computer. 

Step 2. To boot the computer from the Installation disc, enter the BIOS settings on your laptop using the F2, Del, etc. Change the boot order and run the system from the disc or USB.

Step 3. Choose the language and keyboard options. Now click the Repair your computer button to access the System Recovery Options.

Step 4. Navigate to Choose an option > Troubleshoot> Advanced options from the recovery options. Now, click on Startup Repair to find and fix the bug responsible for the cleaning-up issue.

Is the guide helpful? Remember to share it with your followers and fans to help them get out of the issue.

Fix 3️⃣ Perform System Update in Safe Mode

Another thing you can try is to do the Windows update in safe mode to check if there are any external apps responsible or if the problem is with the OS itself.

Step 1. Invoke the WinRE setup. Navigate to the Choose an option > Troubleshoot > Advanced options.

Step 2. Select the Startup Settings, and click Restart. 

Step 3. Once the PC restarts, you can choose Safe Mode with Networking.

Step 4.  Open the Settings, and run Windows updates.

🔥Extend reading: Windows Update Not Working Windows 11/10

Fix 4️⃣ Perform a System Restore

System restore points or backup images allow you to restore your computer if you are stuck on Cleaning up do not turn off your computer error. If you have a system image ready on your laptop, follow the steps below to restore the Windows from it.

Step 1. Restart the PC, and press Shift continuously to enter the System Recovery options.

Step 2. Go to the Advanced options using the Troubleshoot.

Step 3. Click the Startup Settings > Restart, Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt to open the command prompt.

Step 4. Enter rstrui.exe, and execute the command.

Step 5. Click Next, and choose the restore point to the state you want to revert the changes on your computer. 

Step 6. Click Next, confirm the restore point, and click Finish. The system starts to restore the computer based on the restore point. After completion, restart the computer.

Once you revert the changes to a previous state, try to update the Windows to see if the issue goes away.

📑Read also: How to Create Restore Point Automatically

Fix 5️⃣ Run SFC to Fix Corrupted Files

If the Windows files are corrupted, they cannot perform the clean-up operations. To find out if the files are corrupted and to fix them, Windows has two commands. They are SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) respectively.

SFC scan will scan the system files and repair the files with issues. If that didn't happen the DISM command will help you do it. See how to perform these operations.

Step 1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2. Enter the SFC command below and execute it.

sfc /scannow

Once the verification is complete, the command prompt displays the errors if any. Try installing the Windows update now. If that doesn't work, run the below DISM commands to check the All Microsoft Services box. 

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Now, you can download the updates.

Fix 6️⃣ Factory Reset Your Computer

If nothing can get your laptop back to normal, the last thing you should try is to Factory Reset.

Step 1. Enter the WinRE environment, and navigate to Choose an option> Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.

Step 2. While resetting, choose the Keep My Files to save your data. 

Bonus: Always Backup PC to Restore It to Normal

If you could fix the Cleaning up, do not turn off your computer issue, it would be great. But what if you could not fix it and had to lose your data? To avoid such situations and to keep the data the data safe, the best way is to back up your computer.

EaseUS Todo Backup Free lets you back up your entire computer with advanced algorithms. Be it folders, hard drives, or the entire computer, with just a click, you can start the process. The tool is feature-rich, with scheduling backup options, free cloud storage, and data encryption to be a one-stop solution for all data backup needs. Additionally, you can easily make clones, images, and create bootable media to ensure more security. Download the tool now and safeguard your data against all threats.

Sum Up

If the "Cleaning up, do not turn off your computer" screen message takes longer than expected to complete or is stuck on 0% or 100%, there could be a problem with the Windows 10 OS or files. Know the reasons and solutions to fix the cleaning-up screen error, in this post. To avoid data loss on your PC, backup your data using EaseUS Todo Backup to safeguard your data against all emergencies.

Is the guide helpful? Remember to share it with your followers and fans to help them get out of the issue.

FAQs about Cleaning Up Do Not Turning Off Your Computer

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions on Cleaning up, do not turn off the computer error.

1. How long does Windows update cleanup take?

Generally, it would be done in 15 minutes for minor updates. But it could take several hours if there's a major clean-up of the files.

2. Why is my Windows Update cleanup taking so long?

If the Windows Update cleanup takes longer than expected there could be an error. It could be missing or corrupted system files, or some app interfering with the process.

3. How do I make my Windows 10 Disk Cleanup faster?

To make your Disk clean-up run faster, make sure to frequently clean your disk and maintain adequate space on the disk to make updating and deleting files more feasible for the OS.