Windows 10 re-opens all programs after shutdown / restart?

<snip> All the instructions for different ways to shutdown to close programs are meaningless.

I think that last statement was going a little far. At least there are workarounds until MS gets its act together.

Using different shutdown methods or a shutdown script aren't workarounds for the two situations I have mentioned (laptop battery dying or unplugging because of scareware). Wouldn't that clearly make those instructions meaningless for both those circumstances?

For a couple of rare-use cases, you are correct. Statistics don't favor the individual.

My assumption is that a frozen or unresponsive system, which re-opens the applications that froze the system in the first place, is the primary"-use case". And definitely the more pertinent/serious one.

<snip> All the instructions for different ways to shutdown to close programs are meaningless.

I think that last statement was going a little far. At least there are workarounds until MS gets its act together.

Using different shutdown methods or a shutdown script aren't workarounds for the two situations I have mentioned (laptop battery dying or unplugging because of scareware). Wouldn't that clearly make those instructions meaningless for both those circumstances?

For a couple of rare-use cases, you are correct. Statistics don't favor the individual.

My assumption is that a frozen or unresponsive system, which re-opens the applications that froze the system in the first place, is the primary"-use case". And definitely the more pertinent/serious one. 

True enough. The other use-cases would have been at least educational, but BSODs and freezes are just plain annoying.

This is a new feature, though there is a known bug in this feature and Microsoft say they are working in it

For the moment, to stop this happening:

Go to Settings - Accounts - Sign-in

Go to Privacy and turn this option off 'Use my sign info to automatically finish setting up'

This works on my computer (for now).

What you should do is close all your programs before shutting down. Its similar to a functionality on macOS users have been asking for years on Windows. Its considered handy especially when Windows 10 restarts after an update and you want to pick up from where you left off. If you don't like it, then you will have to go with Gregs work around or downgrade to an older version.

It´s also a feature that has existed on Windows for years ... It´s been called "Hibernation".

It´s very annoying that Microsoft has basically forced a function that is bad for computers using SSDs on users that don't want it. My computer has been taking longer and longer to boot up lately, and (after following the steps outlined above to) maybe turning off this unwanted "feature", my computer actually booted up much faster. 

If I (or any other Windows user) want my programs to come back up when I shut the computer down, and return to my previous state of work, I would either put it to sleep (which I do sometimes, and is better for the SSD), or put it in hibernation. 

Granted, hibernation and sleep don´t work when you restart after an update, but that is about the only useful situation for this "feature", and Microsoft should not have released it if it doesn't work as intended. 

If only they can figure out how to get the programs that I actually want to start when I turn my computer on, that would be great. (Before anyone says anything, yes, I have added them to the startup folder, I have enabled them in task manager, and they are enabled in settings, so there's no reason why the programs don't start at log in)

Its 2019 and i have the exact same problem. its such a hassle, if i wanted my computer to restore all the programs i had open id use sleep mode because thats you know, thats whats it for.

I HATE that i have to waste time closing down every program, including background programs in order to have my computer restart efficiently.

This "feature" is trash and might as well be a bad joke