not entering shut down sequence

Quite Possibly. Look in the registry (regedit) at HKey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ScurrentVersion\Run and/or Sysedit in the Win.ini the Run= command to see if there are items here that you are unfamiliar with. While you are in the registry also check RunServices or any RunOnce commands. Before you delete anything do a Google search on each item as some printers put awful things in your registry that are harmless but a nuisance.
You don't say whether you are on a network as this may cause other shutdown problems.
Neither did you specify the type of Dell, as Dell computer also has shutdown patches or BIOS upgrades for specific Dells.

I would first try ctrl>alt>delete and end task on all processes except for explorer and systray. See if it shutsdown normally.
Have you checked the bootlog.txt file to see what process might not be terminating properly?
msconfig is intended for dignostic purposes only, if you have it set to a selective startup, I would put it back to normal startup, and manually remove any programs from startup (by way of registry, startup folder, or win.ini)
For registry, you'll find things that startup located under HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run also check RunOnce, and RunServices.
you can also look under HKCU/Software/Microsoft/CurrentVersion/Run
BE SURE TO BACK UP THE REGISTRY BEFORE MAKING CHANGES....just to be sure!
The startup folder can be edited directly from the start menu
And win.ini will have two lines to look at: run= and load=
somewhere along the line you should pinpoint the trouble process that's not allowing the system to initiate the shutdown process.

There is a downloadable file from microsoft.com called 4756US8. This is a shut down fix for win98 SE.

Go to www.zonealarm.com download the latest issue of the free zone alarm firewall. Close all open programs, using "Ctrl+Alt+ Delete (once), leaving only "Explorer" & "Systray" running, pause the "Task Scheduler" in the systray (by the clock). Install the ZA and tell it you will set program permissions manually. When it comes time for app's. to start getting your permission to access the internet click "Yes" to only those known programs (ones you know to be safe like IE, or your anti-virus, etc.). Say no to the rest! Look especially for Rundll.exe or Rundll32.exe( its a trojan that is used in Denial of Service "DOS" attacks, the 2 ll's are really ii's, but look the same in most windows fonts (is not a normal windows .dll program, but looksvery much like 1), Or "Windows Explorer", or any "strange program" you don't readily recognize as needing to contact the net. (Learn to just say (NO!), unless of course you know specifically what the program is and that it needs access because you asked it to go online!)

After you have that up & running and have given minimum permissions, try to shut down normally. If you can, then you just solved the "call home" & the "anti-shutdown" coding aspect of that nasty bug due to the fact you virtually unplugged it's connection, but you need to get rid of the bug (it's a deadly nasty thing), it will litterally give you a screen message (mine said - NOW SEE WHAT YOU GET FOR CATCHING ME ****?(name deleted). The writer probably used a video benchmark tool rewritten somehow - all kinds of circles & squares, then the typefaced text message, (all in nice pretty colors),if you try to delete the (affected file), and then it sorta melts your DOS sector (only time I'd ever seen that done).
The only way I found then to deal w/ the problem was to reformat (fdisk) the drive (use Norton's AV from the CD first to eradicate the bug first, then format & reinstall Windows.

One more thing to check first though. Go to Device Mgr. and check your drivers for your Network Adapters, open each, and look @ the "Check Driver Files" area, if the last driver listed for each ends in \VREDIR.VXD and "You are NOT NETWORKED to another computer", then e-mail me and I have a quick & easy fix for your shutdown problem. It then would be a simple networking virtual device driver that has no where to redirect to during the boot up sequence, eventually hanging the shutdown sequence. Asimple rebuild of the network driver database is all that would be necessary.

this problem is a virus problem. pls check the msconfig then see the run command. can u delete this command in regedit. use regedit function in start run command. then u go search the run. then u delete the registry key. and u check the win.ini and check the third line of the win.ini and clear the run command. and restart it will be cleared. otherwise u go to www.symantec.com then download the virus removel tool.and clear it.
thank u

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