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ERROR_FAIL_SHUTDOWN
The system shutdown request failed
ERROR_FAIL_SHUTDOWN is a Win32 system result. Shutdown can fail because of privilege, policy, session state, an invalid request, or a component that cannot transition the system. The machine may still be running normally, so callers must verify actual power state rather than assume success.
What the result means
Windows could not complete the requested shutdown operation. For ERROR_FAIL_SHUTDOWN, keep the symbolic name, numeric value, and failing operation together in diagnostics; that combination distinguishes the exact failure path from nearby system results.
What to check
- Capture the shutdown API, flags, reason code, caller token, and target system.
- Verify the required shutdown privilege and policy.
- Check event logs for applications or services blocking shutdown.
- For remote shutdown, verify connectivity and remote-management policy.
Recommended handling
Report the failure and leave the system state explicit. Offer a controlled retry only after correcting the cause; do not kill arbitrary processes merely to force shutdown.
Developer notes
Do not mark maintenance complete until shutdown or restart is observed. Separate request acceptance from the later system transition and preserve the original error across cleanup. When a Win32 API reports ERROR_FAIL_SHUTDOWN, capture GetLastError() immediately; subsequent cleanup, formatting, or logging calls can replace the thread-local value.
References
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