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Windows 98 does not shut down.

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13 replies

by andymays

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Is there an easy fix that will cause Windows 98 to shut down correctly? I have had the experience with at least 3 computer systems to date, that will hang on the screen which says that Windows in shutting down but will never advance to the final black screen which states that it is now safe to turn your computer off. I have executed RegClean, repaired the registry using regedit, and reinstalled the OS. In all 3 cases however, the results are the same. I have discovered that the very same hard drive set up in a different system works as it should. Which leads me to believe that it's a hardware compatibility issue instead of a Windows issue. Any suggestions?

13 replies

by ann777

The answer to Windows shutdown problems can be found here.... unfortunately it's not easy to resolve because there are too many variables to look at. But go through this step-by-step and the shutdown problem will be gone:

http://www.aumha.org/a/shutdown.htm

by shanghai sam

This is an excellent checklist of possible solutions. I used it to solve a computer shutdown problem. I have added the information to my arsenal for future use. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

by fgarber

The two main causes for your problem are fixed by installing a win98 patch and updating the driver for your network adapter. If you use IE just click on tools and windows update. Download all the critical updates including the shutdown patch. Forthe latest drivers for your nic card go to the manufacturer's web site. If you dont use IE got to this site.
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/?IE
go to product updates.

by shanghai sam

This wasn't the answer to this particular shutdown problem since no NIC card is installed. I have bookmarked this site location however, for future reference.

by dcassat

I recommend that you type msconfig at the start/run line and disable all startup programs, reboot, check to see if the problem is solved than gradually add the startup programs back in until you find the one that is causing the problem. Usually theproblem can be resolved this way and the offending program is not needed. It takes a few reboots for the testing but usually takes care of it..

Good Luck

by shanghai sam

This method didn't end up leading me to a solution in this particular situation. However, this is very useful information for future troubleshooting efforts.

by Member 35711908

Sound card drivers also are a frequent cause. Try disabling your soundcard and rebooting a few times to see if that helps. If that fixes is, re-enable the card and make sure you have the latest drivers.

by shanghai sam

Even though the soundcard didn't end up being the problem in this case, it is valuable information for future troubleshooting efforts. I have heard this same suggestion from many other people as well so this is obviously a common cause of shutdown problems.

by mcarrara

If the PC is on a netwrok then Windows update is the answer, scroll down the list of available updates until you see the one about mapped drives and shutdown problems.

If not on a network are you using Norton Anti-Virus? I have seen several problems with NAV and shutting down

by shanghai sam

Since the PC was not on a network, that part of the suggestion didn't apply in this case. However, this is good to know for the future. Also, the comment concerning Norton AV, or any other AV program for that matter, is good info because I've seen it occur if a disk is in the A: drive at shutdown time when an Anti-Virus program is active.

by mancca74

If you have Mcafee for protection against viruses. Make sure you don't scan your floppy for viruses during shutdown. This will hang your computer.

by shanghai sam

Even though this wasn't the problem in this instance, this is valuable information. I've seen this occur with Norton AV as well.

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