Computer manufacturers use hundreds if not thousands of small parts to assemble their machines. Said parts come from different manufacturers and need different drivers and/or firmware for them to be able to interact with the final machine’s operating system.
The Elara app is one such driver which is used to control components associated with touchpads. You’ll mostly see it in laptops, and in most cases, it’ll come preinstalled with your OS. The app controls touchpad functionality and is installed alongside the touchpad’s driver.Â
However, for some users, the app has also caused issues, especially regarding them not being able to shut down their systems.Â
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Why does Elara stop Windows from shutting down?
When Windows is shutting down, the OS closes all processes currently running. However, if a system-specific or special process is still running, it can put the shutdown process on hold until the process itself shuts down properly.
If a process is deemed sensitive enough by the OS, it can cancel the shutdown and report the user.Â
Now you can try and get rid of Elara completely from your system if you want. Most users have reported no loss of functionality whatsoever after removing the app. However, results might differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.
We’re going over a few fixes below to help you resolve the issue.Â
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Temporarily ending the Elara process
You can use the Task Manager to end the Elara App’s process temporarily. Do keep in mind that the app will restart the next time you boot your system.Â
Step 1: Right click the taskbar and click on Task Manager.

Step 2: Under the Details tab, find the ApntEX.exe process and click on End Task.

This will shut down the Elara process and let you shut down your PC without any issues.
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Check for Touchpad driver issues
Touchpad drivers can also cause issues with the Elara app, which in turn can cause issues with your system not shutting down.Â
Step 1: Press Windows Key + X to open the Quick Access menu and click on Device Manager.

Step 2: Expand the Mice and other pointing devices section, right-click on your driver and click Update driver.

Step 3: Select Search automatically for driversin the update wizard.

Windows will now find updated drivers for the touchpad and download them. Now restart your PC, and the error should’ve been resolved.Â
Check for Windows update
At times, Windows updates can fix numerous issues with your machine. You should check to see if an available update can solve your problem.Â
Step 1: Press Windows key + I to get to Windows settings. Click on Update & Security.

Step 2: Install any updates if available and restart your PC.

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Create a new registry key
You can enable automatic closing of processes overwriting WIndows’ rules by making a registry key. Here’s how.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + R to open the Run prompt. Type regedit and press enter.

Step 2: Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop.

Step 3: Right click on the empty space on the right side. Click New >> DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 4: Name the new key AutoEndTasks and set its value to 1.

Click OK to save changes and close the Registry Editor.
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Removing Elara from your system
Another rather permanent fix is to remove the Elara app from your machine. Here’s how.Â
Step 1: Press Windows Key + X to open the Quick Access menu and click on Apps and Features

Step 2: Search for the Elara app in the list and click the Uninstall button to remove it from your system.

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Restore your system
If nothing else works, you’re going to have to restore your system to a point in time where everything was fine. It’s a bit of an inconvenience, but it’ll fix most if not all issues you’re facing with your PC.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Reset this PC. Launch the Recovery setting from the search results.

Step 2: Click on Open System Restore.

Step 3: Select the recommended restore point and click the Next button to proceed.

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