Fix Someone Else Is Using This PC on Windows

Fix Someone Else Is Using This PC on Windows While shutting down your computer may seem like the easiest thing in the world, sometimes Windows makes things a little tricky. For example, you may encounter a strange message stating “Someone else is using this computer” when shutting down your PC, even if you are the only user.

Here, we’ll cover some troubleshooting methods for those who are facing the same problem.

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But first, is my data safe?

For some people, this message sounds a bit scary. It warns that if you turn off your computer now, unsaved data may be lost. This may raise concerns in people that if they shut down their PC, they might lose data.

However, as long as you have everything saved, you won’t lose data. When Windows displays this message, it’s warning you that if someone has unsaved work on another user account, shutting down your PC now will cause them to lose their work.

For example, if Anna uses the PC, unsaved some work, and then signs out so that Bob can log into his account, then if Bob then shuts down the PC, Anna will lose data. So, it’s not warning you that you’ll lose data; it’s warning you that other accounts might lose theirs.

However, as we’ll soon cover, sometimes Windows will display this error message even if you have no other accounts on your system. When this happens, as long as you’re sure your work is saved, you won’t lose data on shutdown.

1. Sign out of other user accounts

The error message may warn you that other accounts will lose their data if you sign out now. So if your PC has multiple user accounts, it’s a good idea to double-check that no one else still has work open that needs to be saved.

If this situation applies to you, you can try to sign out of other user accounts using the Start menu.

You can do this:

Launch the Start menu and click on the user icon in the left pane.
Click the Sign Out button.
Sign in to any active accounts and sign out of them. Make sure to save all their work first!

You should now be able to shut down your PC without the pop-up message.

2. Disable third-party antivirus

One of the most common reasons behind the “Someone else is using this PC” error is third-party antivirus applications. These can interfere with the operating system and cause problems.

Some users have been able to fix this problem by simply disabling their antivirus program, which is why we recommend that you give it a try. If this works for you, you can try switching to a better security software to avoid similar issues in the future. You can also consider using Windows Defender in the future as it also does a decent job.

Follow the steps below to temporarily disable your security program. The steps mentioned here are for Avast antivirus, and they may be slightly different for other antivirus programs.

Right-click on the antivirus icon in your taskbar.
Go to Shields control > Disable until the computer is restarted.

After disabling the antivirus, try shutting down the computer and checking if the problem is fixed. If it persists, move on to the next method below.

3. Manually remove the other user or account

Another fix that worked for users is to manually remove the user or user account. In this method, we will first try to disconnect the other user using Task Manager.

If that doesn’t work, we will proceed to remove the user account in the Settings app after backing up the data.

Please proceed as follows:

Type Task Manager in Windows Search and click Open.
In the following window, go to the Users tab.
Right-click the target user and select Disconnect.

You can now close the Task Manager window and see if the issue is resolved. If it persists, continue with the following steps:

Launch Windows Settings by pressing Win + I.
Go to Accounts > Family & other users.
Back up the data of the listed accounts and delete them one by one. You can check out our Ultimate Windows Data Backup Guide to make sure you’re doing it the right way.
You can type netplwiz into the Windows search and click Open Command command.
In the following dialog box, click the other account and select Remove.
Click Apply > OK to save the changes.

It’s also possible that the sign-in settings for your user account aren’t configured correctly. This specifically relates to “Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my devices and reopen my apps after an update or restart,” which, when enabled, prevents users from shutting down their PCs properly.

Here’s how to change those settings:

Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
Select Accounts > Sign-in options.
In the following window, scroll down to the Privacy section and turn off the toggle Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device and reopen my apps after an update or restart.

5. Run some SFC and DISM system scans

You may also be facing this issue due to a system error that prevents it from performing certain tasks.

The best way to identify and fix such issues is to run a system scan using the built-in troubleshooting utilities provided by Windows. The most appropriate tools in this case would be System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM).

While SFC replaces problematic files with healthier counterparts, DISM resolves corruption issues in Windows component store files, allowing SFC to work effectively. We recommend that you take the time to scan your system using these utilities to resolve the issue at hand.

6. Report the problem to Microsoft Support

If the troubleshooting methods don’t work for you, then we recommend that you report the issue to the official Microsoft support team. They may be able to help you pinpoint the cause and suggest relevant fixes.

Shutdown issues resolved

Shutting down Windows should be simple, and issues such as the “someone else is using this PC” error can be frustrating, especially when they waste your time. If you encounter this error or any similar errors on Windows 10 or 11, the methods listed above should help you resolve them quickly.