Since last Windows Update "task host window is stopping background tasks windows 10" on 4 machines

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

From your description, this error report may be caused by several reasons. You can first try the following steps.

1. Turn Off Hybrid Shutdown/Fast Startup
2. Press Win+R to open the Run window and type the command powercfg.cpl
3. Among the options on the left-hand side, select “Choose what the power button does.”
4. Click on the option “Change settings that are currently unavailable.”
5. Uncheck “Turn on fast startup.”
6. Use the system repair command to scan the repair to see if there is any corruption. Right-click the Windows key, and then left-click the Windows Terminal (admin) option. Press the Enter key after each command: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth sfc /scannow
7. Reduce shutdown time

Press Win + R to open the Run window and type the command regedit. Press Enter to open the registry editor.

Navigate to the path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control

Right-click WaitToKillServiceTimeout in the right pane and change the value to 5000.

Now navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop

Again, right-click WaitToKillServiceTimeout in the right pane and change the value to 5000.

Reboot your PC and check.

Keep us posted if you encounter any challenges along the process.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Thanks - those are the standard tips that have been mentioned for a couple of years.

Tried them all - nothing worked
This problem started immediately after the updates I listed in the initial post.
How can this occur after an MS update?

I had the same problem at the same time and tried diagnostics on the power management which had no impact.

When I realised it was likely caused by the new KB's I was concerned I had messed up my power management settings

SO

I changed them to BALANCED via CONTROL PANEL, POWER OPTIONS, CHOOSE OR CUSTOMISE A POWER PLAN

for a couple of minutes

And then back to the saved set I was running before the diagnostics

And the problem now seems to have gone away i.e

I have had 2 clean shutdowns since

Of course, it could be that the problem has been fixed another way but what I am suggesting is easy and may work

My theory is that maybe the KB's screwed up the existing power management settings and following my suggestion

puts things back to normal.

Thank you for the suggestion - I will definitely give it a try and report back

Hello,

My Update History shows latest updates KB5016616 and KB5012170 (10th August). Since then my desktop does not close down - it displays message Task Host Window is stopping background tasks.

I have Windows 10 Home installed.

Will this issue be resolved by Microsoft?

Kind regards,

Neil.