Solved Today's Updates changed shutdown behavior

Hello,

I'm running windows 8.1. I installed the windows updates today including recommended and now when I go to Start > Shutdown or Signout > Shutdown, it simply puts the computer to sleep. It says it's shutting down but in fact it's putting the computer to sleep. It seems like this behavior is intentional, anyway to disable this? While it's nice for it to resume from sleep in 1 second (versus 4 seconds on a cold boot after a shutdown), I prefer shutting down and starting it up each day since it only takes 4 seconds. I can restart it obviously and can do that as a workaround but I wish the "shutdown" worked as a shutdown as it used to. Seems nuts to me. I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't happening to many others after today's updates and they just don't realize it yet.

Event 42, Kernel-Power

The system is entering sleep.

Sleep Reason: Application API


Event 1, Power-Troubleshooter

The system has returned from a low power state.

Sleep Time: ‎2014‎-‎02‎-‎12T05:38:10.956112200Z
Wake Time: ‎2014‎-‎02‎-‎12T05:38:35.404497900Z

Wake Source: Unknown

Not happening to me. After installation of the updates, my shutdown behaviour is unaltered.

Is there anyway to reset this behavior or change the power options to not do this? I made a system image backup I could roll back to but would prefer not to do so.

Have you checked through your Power options?

Right click Start button and select Power options.
Select "Balanced" - "Change Plan settings", then "Change Advanced Power Settings"
Scroll down to "Power Buttons and Lid" and make sure you have the "Power Button Action" set to "Shut Down"

Just came back to add: I read your op again and realise my suggestion will not solve your problem. But, have you at any time installed one of the Shutdown hacks? If so, it is possible that the security updates have blocked it.

Edit: I have just finished the updates and since my system seems to shut off normally, my situation does not seem to be the same as yours.

[DEL]I am seeing something like that on my system. When I tell it to reboot, it stops short and delays about a minute before completing the process.

This was before the latest updates, which I am currently doing. I will have to do some checking to see what might be happening. This computer has an LED readout which gives Q-Codes, so maybe that will help with any diagnosis.

Info: This is a Windows 8.1 system (no 8 to 8.1 update), running with Fast Startup turned on and Fast Boot enabled in the bios.

Edit: I forgot I had started using a SSD last week as a pre-cache for the Intel Smart Response Technology, so my situation may be related to that. I do not think my system is going into Sleep Mode.[/DEL]

I'm not sure about the shutdown hack unless Asus Power4Gear Hybrid is included. This is an asus laptop and it came with Power4Gear Hybrid, which I found fairly useless compared to the windows power options so I uninstalled it. By default, it set the shut down button to restart the computer then put it to sleep for a quick boot back into windows but I never used it. I think this is very possibly what is happening, not sure why it would be re-activated by the windows updates when I uninstalled it and it was doing normal shut downs for weeks? Why it started again after it hasn't been doing it for a while, I don't know. Any thoughts? I'm considering installing Power4Gear Hybrid again, disabling the special shutdown feature, uninstalling it again, then seeing if it is fixed.

So I figured it out lol...

If you to Power Options then click "choose what the power buttons do" in the upper-left then click "Change settings that are currently unavailable", I then unchecked "Turn on fast startup (recommended) This helps start your PC faster after shutdown. Restart isn't affected.

So I guess my question becomes, I wasn't using fast startup before apparently and for some reason this windows update enabled it. Should I use fast startup? The difference in start-up time is from 1-2 seconds to 4 seconds. I'm a bit old school so I'm leaning towards not using it but want to know your opinions/thoughts.

Thank you!

I don't have that option, so can't offer. But have a look here:
I think one reason why I cannot see it is because I normally turn off hybernat, as my default-
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6320-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-8-a.html

Lately, when I go to the start screen and select "Shut down" at night, in the morning when I open the lid on my laptop the system has restarted itself and I see the sign in screen. The triggering event occurs every morning at 5:57AM, and I believe it's Windows update related. I called Dell technical support as this laptop is a few weeks old, and they just told me it is impossible for the system to start up if it has been shut down. Thanks for the help, Ace.

I realized that fast startup was enabled and I had the power option set to go to sleep when the power button is pressed, and like you, would see event 42, Kernel power - the system is entering sleep show up when shutting down. After changing the power options to shut down when the power button is pressed, but leaving fast startup enabled, I would still see event 42, system is entering sleep when shutting down. It is only when I unchecked fast startup and shut down that I would see Event ID 13, the operating system is shutting down in the event viewer.

I'm not sure if fast startup is enabled by default, but when I shut my system down, I want it to stay shut down, full stop.