Troubleshooting Windows XP Shutdown Issues

Two Valuable Items for Dealing with Shutdown Issues

Device Manager: Often times Device Manager will provide a clue to an item that may be interfering with a proper shutdown sequence. To open Device Manager:

Right click [My Computer] click [Properties] and select [Hardware] tab.
Click the [Device Manager] button in the [Device Manager] section.

Device Manager use a number of different symbols to indicate potential problems with installed devices. As you might expect, Device Manager is closely tied into the drivers that are used to make individual devices functional. A problem with one of these devices or a driver supporting it are often the cause of shutdown problems. Don't assume that just because you checked Device Manager once and all was well that matters will remain that way. Check it from time to time, especially if you notice a sudden change in device behavior. The Knowledge Base articles below will help you use Device Manager effectively.

How To: Manage Devices in Windows XP
Troubleshooting Device Conflicts with Device Manager
Explanation of Error Codes Generated by Device Manager
How to Troubleshoot Unknown Devices Listed in Device Manager

Startup and Recovery Options: By default, XP is configured that when a system failure is encountered the system automatically restarts. This behavior may at times be desirable, especially if a system is unattended and and a reboot is necessary to restore a system to operation. Unfortunately, it also makes it very difficult if not impossible for a user to read the messages that are presented that may provide clues to a shutdown problem. To prevent the system from automatically restarting:

Right click [My Computer] click [Properties] and select [Advanced] tab.
Click the [Settings] button in the [Startup and Recovery] section.
Remove the checkmark from [Automatically Restart] in [System Failure] section.

Pay particular attention to these messages as they may provide valuable clues to shutdown issues.

Restart Instead of Shutdown and STOP Error Messages

I touched on this briefly in the Startup and Recovery Options section above. As Microsoft mentions in the article referenced below, "When you shut down your Windows XP-based computer, your computer may restart instead of shutting down, and you may see a blue screen for just a moment before the computer restarts."

Windows XP Restarts When You Try to Shut Down Your Computer

Their reference to the Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) and the STOP error messages that are displayed is why I suggested you disable the automatic restarts. As cryptic as these messages can be, they do provide a place to begin looking for issues impacting shutdown. To make it a bit easier, I've listed the STOP messages in the table below. A detailed description of each error message is here.

The majority of Win XP shutdown problems reported thus far have been that it reboots when shutdown is attempted. This may be a global symptom emerging from several distinct causes, because, by default, XP executes an automatic restart in the event of a system failure. Therefore, more or less anything compromising the operating system during the shutdown process could force this reboot. Disabling the restart on system failure feature may permit the exact cause to be isolated: Right-click on My Computer, click Properties, click the Advanced tab. Under Startup & Recovery, click Settings. Under System Failure, uncheck the box in front of System reboot.

Shutdown Does Not Complete or Hangs

Everyone that has used Windows XP has spent some time looking at the screen that says "Saving Your Settings" - waiting for it to finally decide that it's saved everything it can and move on to shutting down the system. I'm not sure if it's by design or considered a 'feature' of XP, but the closer it is to quitting time the longer it takes this transition to occur. As an added benefit, when XP does 'hang' at this point in shutdown there is no response to the Ctrl+Alt+Del sequence so the user is effectively stuck.

My guess is that a Microsoft employee eager to get out on a Friday afternoon finally decided to address this issue, but that's just speculation. Whatever the reason, this is a known issue with XP Home and Professional and has been addressed by Microsoft.

Windows XP Stops Responding (Hangs) During Windows Shutdown Q307274

How long does it take for shutdown to begin, or at least give some visible sign the system is shutting down? This varies, and often times seem to be in direct relation to software that is left running when shutdown is attempted.

The safest thing you can do is to make sure all programs have been closed before shutting down. This alone may solve your problem. Don’t overlook programs running in the system tray. It’s easy to forget these are running as we become so accustomed to seeing their icons on a daily basis. As a general rule, if you don’t see some visible shutdown activity within 1-2 minutes of initiation, something is holding up the process. One readily identifiable sign that some application or process is not terminating properly is the appearance of the "Wait, End Task, or Cancel" dialog box. The program or process listed needs to be examined as to why it isn't terminating properly. Often times a visit to a company website will provide an update to address the issue.

Windows XP uses many processes that are built into the operating system that interact with outside vendor supplied programs. These interactions don't always flow as smoothly or quickly as planned and can account for shutdown delays. Extending the amount of time a process is allowed to close before invoking the "Wait, End Task, or Cancel" dialog box can sometimes be of benefit. To get a better understanding of what this involves as well as why not to overdo the time extension, the following article may be of value.

Increase Shutdown Time So That Processes Can Quit Properly in Windows XP: Q305788

These additional articles may lead to a solution:

Computer Hangs During Shutdown or Displays a "Cannot Find Enough Free Resources" Error Message

Your Computer May Stop Responding When You Shut Down and Use Only the 802.1x Protocol for User Authentication

Hardware and Software Issues

Truthfully, it's very difficult to separate shutdown issues into tidy compartmentalized groups, even categories that are as broad as I've defined for this article. Some of the issues from the Hangs section above fit into this group just as easily. However, there is no doubt that Hardware and Software Issues can be a major factor.

When talking about hardware, think for just a minute about all the bits and pieces that go into making up your system. At the heart of the system is the motherboard. The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) might need to be updated to function properly with XP. A check with the computer or motherboard manufacturer for an updated BIOS is well worth the time. I will add though that my viewpoint toward BIOS updates is "If it ain't broke, don't update it." That doesn't hold true however for BIOS settings. Making sure the settings are optimized and appropriate for installed devices can eliminate problems. Just be sure to note the old settings before making changes.

Video cards are another source of problems. When XP was first released it shipped with more device drivers than any previous Windows version. In spite of that, the offerings barely scratched the surface for supporting devices already in use by end users. Device drivers fall into two categories; signed and unsigned. With signed drivers, you stand a much better chance of eliminating shutdown problems. Unsigned drivers are far more likely to create problems, and if a device doesn't have a signed driver available this long after XP's release it's likely it's not going to have one issued by the device manufacturer. Mixing signed and unsigned drivers is just asking for trouble. Go for all or nothing and if that isn't possible, consider replacing the device.

This seems like a good place to talk about compatibility. Microsoft has made available two sites where you can check hardware and software compatibility. The hardware list is a good place to check existing hardware or future hardware purchases for compatibility. The Windows Catalog requires you to wade through some hype, but there is some useful info available regarding different software packages.

Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility List
Windows Catalog

Sound cards are notorious for causing shutdown problems. Because these devices load so many drivers and stick them in a myriad of locations, trouble shooting them can be a nightmare. Using the uninstall routines and then checking to see if the shutdown problem disappears is the easiest method. Many of the motherboards now come with onboard sound and these seem to be relatively trouble free, but legacy soundcards continue to be a nightmare.

Anytime you are dealing with new hardware or software, using System Restore can provide you with a way to turn the system back to a previous condition where the problem didn't exist. More information on System Restore is available here.

In short, any piece of hardware or software can be the cause of a shutdown problem. In dealing with these issues over the past few months, experience has taught me to check the drivers first. If XP didn't come with a generic driver, perhaps the manufacturer has released a driver specifically for XP. As much trouble as it is, stripping the machine of all devices and reinstalling them one by one while checking for shutdown problems remains the best troubleshooting method.

Miscellaneous Problems/Solutions

The items listed below are miscellaneous reports of issues that have caused shutdown problems. Perhaps one of them will be of value in troubleshooting your shutdown issue. Feel free to send along your experiences and I'll post them here.

Windows XP Professional contains the Group Policy Editor which can be used to alter settings. One security option allows the page file to be cleared at system shutdown. When enabled, this same setting forces wiping of the hibernation file. Both of these processes can be lengthy, fooling the user into thinking shutdown has hung. To verify if this setting has been enabled (it has to be set manually), perform the steps listed.

[Start] [Run] and type [gpedit.msc] then click [OK]
Drill down to [Computer Configuration] [Windows Settings] [Security Settings] [Local Policies] [Security Options]
Verify the proper setting in the right pane under [Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile]

One theory has linked the shutdown problems to the logon process. Some users have reported they solved the hanging problem at shutdown by eliminating the Welcome Screen that XP uses for logon. To eliminate the screen and revert to the legacy method of logon:

[Control Panel] [User Accounts]
[Change The Way Users Log On or Off]
Remove the checkmark by [Use the Welcome Screen]

All users will be required to type a username and password.

This was a problem I personally encountered using a Microsoft USB Office Keyboard. Once the box had booted and the logon screen loaded I could use the keyboard, but prior to that it was totally unavailable. It was impossible to make selections between operating systems in the boot menu, so if I wanted to load Windows 2000, I had to make the changes to the boot.ini file within XP and then shut down the entire system. Restart wasn’t possible either because the system would hang and never complete the restart. The solution was to get a USB adapter which allowed me to plug the keyboard into the standard mouse port (PS/2) rather than a USB connector. I know it’s not the right solution, but for now it works.

If you have a graphics card manufactured by Nvidia, stopping the Driver Helper service may solve the shutdown slowness. As more users have upgraded to XP a lot more reports of video problems have surfaced, not just related to Nvidia. Updated drivers are again the answer, or if they are unavailable a new video card designed for XP seems to be the answer.

To access the services running on your machine, type [services.msc] from the [Run] box.

From Clark:

From Harry D.

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