This forum requires Javascript to be enabled for posting content
Please consider registering
guest
Log In Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope


Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
Topic RSS
Computer won't shut down.
Jim Hillier
Admin
September 22, 2008 - 4:11 pm
Member Since: August 9, 2011
Forum Posts: 2707
Offline

Hi All - My lovely wife is running a HP Compaq Presario with Vista Home Premium. We both generally leave our computers 'on', only shutting down completely during storms or if going away.
The HP will not shut shut down/restart normally......it gets to the 'shutting down' screen and then just hangs forever (this is not just Vista's notoriously slow shutdown process). I have to switch it off at the tower and then on reboot I get the usual message and list of options, I let it boot into Windows as normal and everything is okay. The computer is running fine otherwise, no problems nor other symptoms.
It is no biggee but it just ain't right. Any advice would be much appreciated.

cheers......JIM

Nightowl78
Member
Members
September 22, 2008 - 5:59 pm
Member Since: September 17, 2008
Forum Posts: 78
Offline

Hi Jim:

I noticed that you had a post concerning Avast and no sound and that after you did a system restore your Skype and Avast both worked as advertised. Just wondering if after your system restore, has the shut down problem been restored as well?? Could be a possibility.

Jim Hillier
Admin
September 22, 2008 - 6:31 pm
Member Since: August 9, 2011
Forum Posts: 2707
Offline

Hey Nightowl - Thanks for the reply...Different computer altogether mate. Sorry, I should have clarified, the Avast (no sound) problem was on [i:txjmj7yf]my[/i:txjmj7yf] custom built machine...this issue is with my wife's HP.
I have had a thought since my initial post...maybe a process in hanging on shutdown, if I can access the task manager during the shut down screen I may be able to view any running processes and identify the problem....what do you think?

JIM

Nightowl78
Member
Members
September 22, 2008 - 8:06 pm
Member Since: September 17, 2008
Forum Posts: 78
Offline

Hi Jim:
I did some looking on your shut down problem. Here is a link that may be of some help.

http://www.vistarewired.com/2007/03/14/ ... is-so-slow

Hope this helps you out.

David Hartsock
Admin
September 22, 2008 - 9:02 pm
Member Since: August 7, 2011
Forum Posts: 1117
Offline

Jim, Shutdown problems are usually caused by programs not stopping properly, so you are headed down the right path. A good place to start with shutdown problems is actually the startup process. Eliminating extra (unneeded) programs from the startup process either fixes the problem or makes it easier to troubleshoot. The side benefit it your computer will start quicker and be a little more responsive.

I'll let you in on a secret... Startup programs are a good place to start when troubleshooting almost any problem.

Start>type "msconfig.exe in the text box. Hit Enter to open MSConfig. Look at the Startup Tab. If you post the entries we can tell you which ones you don't need to be running all the time.

If that doesn't work I tell you how to edit the registry and force programs to shutdown.

Jim Hillier
Admin
September 22, 2008 - 9:19 pm
Member Since: August 9, 2011
Forum Posts: 2707
Offline

Thanks Dave - I have a very good startup manager installed (on both machines) and I can tell you, I have startup entries set to an absolute minimum. You wouldn't believe it, the last twice I have tried to shut down my wife's HP this has happened...I went to it this morning and tried to replicate the situation so I could have a bo peep and see if any processes were hanging and it insisted on shutting down okay, no problems.....Murphy's law!!!
She hadn't been on the computer this morning so I thought about what she would normally be doing...playing games was the answer, nothing fancy, just the ones built in to Vista. Next time she goes through a session, when she is finished I will hop on the machine and have a look and see if any associated processes remain running, both prior to shutdown and during.

thanks all for your help and advice,
JIM

David Hartsock
Admin
September 22, 2008 - 10:22 pm
Member Since: August 7, 2011
Forum Posts: 1117
Offline

Hey, Jim.

You should try the sleep function instead of shutting down. It literally takes, 20 seconds to go to sleep and 20 seconds to wake up and be ready to go. The only time I shut down is when I'm going on a trip or it's required by an update.

Jim Hillier
Admin
September 23, 2008 - 3:37 am
Member Since: August 9, 2011
Forum Posts: 2707
Offline

Hey Dave - This from my original post: [quote]We both generally leave our computers 'on', only shutting down completely during storms or if going away. [/quote]

I very seldom shutdown our computers.....just leave them switched on and in 'sleep' mode if not is use. Both times this has happened we were going away for an extended period.

thanks,
JIM

David Hartsock
Admin
September 23, 2008 - 6:15 am
Member Since: August 7, 2011
Forum Posts: 1117
Offline

Oops, Missed that!

FLBoy
Member
Members
October 5, 2008 - 10:05 am
Member Since: October 5, 2008
Forum Posts: 15
Offline

Hi Jim: Does your wife happen to have Zone Alarm Suite installed on her computer? The reason i ask is,i had the same problem you describe and i had to make a adjustment inside Zone Alarm.

Jim Hillier
Admin
October 5, 2008 - 4:10 pm
Member Since: August 9, 2011
Forum Posts: 2707
Offline

Hi FLBoy - Thanks for the tip but no, there is no Zone Alarm on either of our computers. The strange thing is I cannot get the computer to do it again, try as I have, the rotten thing won't cooperate. I suppose that is a good thing but it doesn't help me diagnose what may be wrong....at this stage all I can do is put it down to a quirk and play wait and see.

thanks again,
JIM

1101doc
Member
Members
October 22, 2008 - 12:47 am
Member Since: September 17, 2008
Forum Posts: 6
Offline

Although the section is about XP shutdown issues, you may find some ideas here: http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.php

Also likely to help is to initiate verbose logging so as to be able to see what step is creating the "hang:" http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/18832 ... tdown.html

Ken Harthun
Mod
Members
October 22, 2008 - 7:14 am
Member Since: August 11, 2011
Forum Posts: 86
Offline

Ozbloke, I got so tired of trying to troubleshoot shutdown problems that I just bypassed the whole process and used the Windows shutdown command to force the issue. Over at [url=http://askthegeek.kennyhart.com:1xnq0u20]Askthe Geek[/url:1xnq0u20] "my computer won't shut down" is the all-time #1 question. So, I wrote an article you can download that gives step by step instructions on making your own custom shutdown command (written for XP, but Vista has the same command).

You can download it from [url:1xnq0u20]http://askthegeek.kennyhart.com/Content/shutdown.pdf[/url:1xnq0u20].

Forum Timezone: America/Indiana/Indianapolis
Most Users Ever Online: 2303
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 36
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
Chad Johnson: 867
Mindblower: 673
carbonterry2: 356
Flying Dutchman: 278
grr: 211
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 11
Members: 3218
Moderators: 7
Admins: 3
Forum Stats:
Groups: 8
Forums: 20
Topics: 1951
Posts: 13555
Newest Members:
Noahmat, cdgxx, ricc88, R1OLEWINE, bernicereva
Moderators: Carol Bratt: 67, dandl: 740, Jason Shuffield: 1, Jim Canfield: 8, Terry Hollett: 0, Stuart Berg: 0, John Durso: 0
Administrators: Jim Hillier: 2707, Richard Pedersen: 209, David Hartsock: 1117
Exit mobile version

WHY NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER?

Get great content like this delivered to your inbox!

It's free, convenient, and delivered right to your inbox! We do not spam and we will not share your address. Period!