How to turn off my PC with no update

How can I shut down my PC without Windows forcing me to “Update and shut down”?

Today I was able to send my warmest regards, telepathically, to the mothers of the Windows 11 developers who decided that forcing users to “Update and shut down” was a good idea.

Apparently, giving the user the option to simply shut down the computer was considered too ambitious.

Here’s the scenario I encountered today:

I was working against the clock because a thunderstorm was approaching my city. I finally finished what I was doing just as the first thunderclaps started. Since my PC is my work tool, I wanted to shut it down immediately to protect it from the storm.

Except Windows decided that this was the perfect moment to tell me:

“Update and shut down.”

Or

“Update and restart.”

Nope. Apparently, I don't get to choose whether I want to shut down my own computer.

So I had to sit there for roughly 15 minutes while Windows completed its update, listening to increasingly loud and nearby thunder, with my heart in my throat, wondering whether the next lightning strike would arrive before Windows finished doing whatever it had decided was more important than my request to turn the damn computer off.

Seriously, what is the reasoning behind removing the “Shut down” option when an update is pending?

I understand the importance of security updates. I understand that Microsoft wants users to install them. But forcing an update before allowing a shutdown is a terrible user experience, especially when the user has a legitimate reason to power off the machine immediately.

At the very least, Windows should provide:

• Shut down
• Update and shut down
• Restart
• Update and restart

I shouldn't have to negotiate with my operating system before I'm allowed to turn off my own computer.

Is there currently any way in Windows 11 to disable or bypass “Update and shut down” and force a normal shutdown, without disabling Windows Update entirely?