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XP shutdown (doesn't complete)

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by cntrysky

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Hi,
I have XP Pro on two different computers (each has its own original CD) and both sometimes perhaps 1 out of 10 shutdowns won't shutdown completely and turn off everything within the tower. You can hear the tower click but the neon lights within and fan still work within. The other computer does the same (Except the neon lights as it lacks that). Pressing the reset button automatically shuts it completely down instead of rebooting. Holding the power button definitely shuts it down. It just states that Windows is shutting down (beyond logging off screen). This is pretty much the screen where it is okay to manually shutdown if necessary. Any ideas on why this could be happening?

18 replies

by wharb

Make sure that you have WinXP SP1 installed and all other updates applied from the Microsoft Critical/Driver update web location using your Windows Update.

Then (not sure of the build date and manufacturer of your PC) check for any mainboard component updates and BIOS(carefully using the appropiate "FlashBIOS" utility for that mainboard) updates that may be needed by your system(s) and, if there are any, download and install them. This should update your device driver database of your mainboard(motherboard) system service components. This, usually, is the cause of the shutdown "hang" problem.

The "PC" SOFTWARE DOCTOR

by cntrysky

The one computer uses an ASUS board while the other uses an A-bit (I believe that is the spelling) board. An update was done on the A-bit board about a year ago to allow for the 2Ghz processor. An update has not been done since. All Win updates have been installed. At first I felt that it is just a WinXP issue that Microsoft has not resolved yet but I'm curious of a possible solution.

by amgadkhalil

If you have (Norton Antivirus) on your PC(s) , you can resolve this problem by reinstall the Antivirus ( Norton ) again ,therefor, the system doesn't shutdown completly.

by cntrysky

Nope, I don't have Norton or Mcafee. I can't stand those two. Resource hogs. I use E-trust which runs with very low resources. I could always test out by closing everything and shutdown. Perhaps there is a timeout session that I could increse to give more time for XP to shutdown. I came across something like this before but can't seem to find it now. Does anyone know of this? That might solve this problem. If anyone has XP (Home or Pro) does it shutdown properly for you each and every time?
Thanks

by gbrownlee

I trouble shot a very similar problem last week. The system would get to the Windows is shutting down screen and then stall. It ended up being a heat issue.

by cntrysky

This computer is only a year old and has a new motherboard which is probably a month old now. Has been cleaned up within. Its not enclosed in a cabinet. The stand it is on has quite an opening for proper air flow. The location I am at is not that warm at least not yet (I'm in Canada). I've many seen this problem with Win98 but that's a known issue. The only time I ever heard this problem other than with my own PCs is when I worked for Compaq. A few (perhaps around five clients) had a Compaq that didn't shutdown completely. I ended up telling them that it is a Microsoft issue that they haven't solved yet. There is an article there that says that you need to update your Windows Updates to correct this but that isn't completely true as all the updates are installed.

by luminous

I've had a few issues with this kind of thing in the past, although not quite the problem you describe.

Its sounds like you machines could be old(ish). One thing that solved my problems was a trip into control panel, then power management. When you open this you may see 5 tabs appear. One of these teabs is labled APM (Advanced Power Management). Toggle this setting, my old machine needs this enabled for the machine to shutdown properly.

My new machine does not have the APM tab, new machines use something else (i think ACPI). I reckon the issue you are facing is likely to be power management.

An alternative is the presence of a virus. I'm sure you are likely to have a virus scanner installed, just ensure that it is totally up to date and then do a re-scan.

Hope this helps

by cntrysky

The first computer is probably 3 years old and runs XP Pro on a 1Ghz Pentium processor. 512 Ram. I left it behind for my folks to use. Its an Asus. The equipment inside is pretty much top notch at its time. For CD use it uses a 4x CDRW burner from Hewlett Packard. Nothing fancy but gets them by.

This computer is only a year old and has a new motherboard which is probably a month old now. Runs on an Abit using a 2Ghz AMD processor. 512 Ram. It uses a 4x CD burner from Hewlett Packard. Older than the previous but does the trick (for now). And a Creative Labs 6x DVD player which we send signal to the TV when we place DVDs. (that was before I won a DVD player at work). This computer has two Maxtor drives both 60gig. The only thing wrong with this computer is that it doesn't shut down 1/10th of the time completely. But again if you press the Reset Button with a popsicle stick (which we have handy) then it completely shuts down.

The programs running on this AMD computer are: Adaware's Adwatch, Etrust Antivirus, No Ads for popup control (With preference options, seems to do what I need), Hypersnap and Clipomatic (as I do copy/paste and snapshot way too often to flip among documents). I have tried shutting down 3 programs at a time to determine where this problem could be but it doesn't seem to matter.

Does anyone know of a way to increase the wait time for Windows to shutdown for me to try. It could be that the computer just needs some more shutdown time.

Thanks

by wino460

I think it is 1 of 2 things that is happening. 1st. one is your cd burning software Adaptec EZ-CD creator? or Roxio EZ-CD Creator? up until the ltest realease they need to run in compatability mode as they are not signed to run on WinXP the other is if they were installed and then uninstalled in favor of WinXP's burner software it can leave little turd behind in the .dll's just like some Norton Products. I have seen the same problem occur when using Creative SB live Value cards and the software that comes with them. the software is only good thru Win2K works in Compatability mode or they have an update that is supposed to work but add's more audio players to a system that may already have a couple EXAMPLE: realOne Win. Media Player WinAmp. The 2nd. is if you have your PC set to auto update. I have had simular problems with my Athlon Thunderbird 1200 if you do a fresh install it will work okay again until the auto updates, or software is added. I have recently REINSTALLED XP and none of the adaptec software or the Creative SB live software. (I am using the newest release of Roxio EZ-CD Creator ver 6.1 without problem.) and have not let any auto update thru to the system and am waiting for a windows critical patch CD-Rom to come from Microsoft. Check the MS web site for the Security CD and order it.

by cntrysky

I don't use Roxio/Adaptec for CD burning. I use Nero. The audio is built-in. The DVD player doesn't use a decoder card (just software). I run win updates when I feel like checking for them (also when I hear word of any updates from some forum I go to). I can't stand something telling me to update :) I just wish there was a solution for this problem as it does get aggrevating at times. But thanks for replying!

by wino460

The problem is in your memory dump it is not emptying out this causes a hang up when you see the screen saying saving your settings. SRVHOST if you watch it in your services\administraightive tools is running like a machine gun (CPU will be between 75% -100%) it is constantly adding and atempting to dump your memory off you HDD & Page file! if you stop theservice it will just restart with a vengence. this is caused by a VIRUS (on of those little fellows that attaches it self to your IE6 & reset your home page. good one for kids to have unknowingly clicked on then they deleted it so pop's did not find it, but it has left little tags all over and wants to start and run but can't.) It also can be a rouge program that you may have downloaded and worked fine (especially one with a FREE Trial that has timed out and does not have an uninstaller or has damaged your MSI.EXE install program possibly preventing NEW installs (needed to fix the problem.) you will find that as the weeks unfold that more and more STUFF just doesn't work right or after a reboot does not work at all. This also comes from trojan attacks pushed thru Mesenger pop-up. (no not MSN!) Lastly ignoring your Win-XP AUTO_UPDATES and downloading them piece meal ( missed a couple then downloaded a couple (you told it to remind you later then forgot and someone-else closed it down on YOU) I have had this HAPPEN TO ME NOT ONCE BUT AT LEAST TWICE, along with a teny-tiny power surge or loss with several programs open and you now have the scenerio you describe! WHICH Only gets WORSE as you continue. the a FREE program called file check that restores naes to system files. get it unzip it and look in C:\ or C:\windows and you will most likely find files (SEVERAL) that look like this file0000. or file0005. if yuo use c-prompt and the type command you will discover they are CODE alond with just about every other file type you can imagine. Hopre you KNOW where they all can from because getting

by cntrysky

My antivirus is always on (just like everyone else would say) and I know that some viruses (usually new ones) can sneak through. I also use Lavasoft's Pro version with Adwatch monitoring any sneaky spyware trying to pass through. Any scan I do on any spyware tool fails to find any. I even do online virus scans at housecall.antivirus.com and fail to find anything. This system is clean. I'm pretty sure of it. SVChost is not showing any abnormal activity ever when I check my processes. The only activity I notice is System Idle at 98ish which is completely normal and some activity on programs that I know are doing activities such as IE. Again, all Windows Updates are installed. Any other ideas?

by wino460

Shoot it with a large caliber hand gun! short of REINSTALLING THE OS NOTHING WILL FIX THIS CONDITION! This comes from personal experiance with the exact same problems. Something in XP is hosed up and I gave you the only solution I have found that works. I have even offered 2,000 point for someone to come up with a fix and 6 months later no one has had one. so either live with it. or reinstall WinXP and carfully reinstall ONLY the PROGRAMS YOU NEED.

by cntrysky

Wow! Chill! It doesn't happen that often and I am living with it. I'd just like to possibly give a solution to others if someone else comes across to me with the same problem again. I do have the problem (seems to be 1 out of 20 shutdowns now) and am curious of a possible cause. I do appreciate any advise that shows up here. But if anyone knows of a way to increase the shutdown time in XP that would be a nice thing to know and may help remedy the issue.

by wino460

This condition may be caused by changes you have made to your system file or your profile. It could also occur over a period of time (where PC was not shut down or rebooted.) and there has been alot of MS Office activity or other data intensive operations, Photo Editors, Printer, Scanner, and Digital camera. If the system is not rebooted after a long session where you where editing photo's or scanning old photos into the PC, or doing a large amount of work in lets say Access, Excel, Word, and where Word is the E-Mail editor for Outlook Express or Outlook 2000/XP these condition have a direct effect on windows files. Just like program installations do. Some Programs require a manditory PC reboot others do not, but those that do not still need to add their tags or regestry marking before a shutdown occurs if this is only happening every once in a while it is more then likely Windows SAVING DATA along with your settings. after installation of several little programs/bot/macro's I have had my machine take 3 - 4 times longer to shut down! ANOTHER POINT of INTEREST is that if you inccur a power surge or power loss (Wife blows fuse while vaccuming the computer room! or Contractor in the neiborhood hits an underground cable causing a station to switch/divert power.) Can cause a rather severe loss/coruption of data that would have been saved during a windows SHUTDOWN or REBOOT. An example of this is after down loading mail to Outlook Express and Seing it there EVERY room in the house lost power for 2 - 3 seconds forcing a reboot of my PC. After I logged back in the mail was gone from Outlook Express as well as my server it was fortunate that it was only a few and mostly newsletters and some spam. Windows as well as most other programs have a way to save these items to a file. Hence the discussion I mentioned earlier about seeing things like File0001.??? and the use of a program called filechecker that is supposed to help rename these files. MS Word has a folder just for sa

by cntrysky

Ok, that's a pretty good answer. Thank you. I don't have any MS Office software installed but I still feel that it is a good answer. Thanks.

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