Microsoft discontinued support for Windows 7 in mid-January, but it might need to roll out one last software update as users are reporting an unidentifiable bug that prevents them from shutting down or restarting their PCs.

Nobody knows what's causing this bug. Last week, reports surfaced online that Windows 7 PCs weren't able to shut down or restart. When trying to complete either action, Windows 7 displays a pop-up that says "You don't have permission to shut down this computer." Microsoft hasn't commented on the situation, leaving users searching for manual fixes. Some are opting for a temporary workaround while others are taking a technical approach to bypass the major bug.

Here's the temporary workaround, which users are sharing on Reddit and other platforms:

1. Create another admin account, log into it

2. Log into the default admin account again

3. Shut down or restart as usual

Quick Heal, an IT support company, announced another option for users running into this bug. Take these steps if you're not satisfied with the temporary workaround:

1. Press 'Windows' and 'R' keys together to open a run window

2. Type 'gpedit.msc' and click 'OK'

3. Go to 'Computer Configuration' > 'Windows Settings' > 'Security Settings' > 'Local Policies' > 'Security Options'

4. In the right-side panel, double-click 'User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode' and select 'Enable'

5. Reopen the run window and type 'gpupdate /force'

6. Shut down or restart as usual

It serves as a more permanent solution, but Microsoft might still take a look at the bug and push a system-level fix to all users. More than 200 million PCs worldwide are running outdated versions of Windows, and most of them are on Windows 7. Though it pulled the plug on Windows 7 last month, Redmond did update the operating system when users ran into another bug that disabled wallpapers.