A while back I formatted my hard drive and re-installed Win98(1st edition), and since then my pc will not shut down. It will start to shut down, the windows screen comes up and then the monitor goes black but the power never shuts off. I have to hit the reset button and then hit the power button. If I just hit the reset it’ll start back up with the Scandisk because “…windows was not shut down properly…”.
Also, I cant just re-start windows or restart in DOS. I’ve run a thorough scandisk to no avail.
Any suggestions?
Have you tried Defrag?
Clear out your startup group (i.e. the programmes that start with windows and clear your temp folders.
I’m assuming you don’t get the screen “It’s now safe to turn off your computer.” This means that your software isn’t dumping memory properly; a program isn’t shutting down. Troubleshooting means you have to disable each program that starts up automatically one by one until the problem goes away. You might want to use the startup tab on msconfig (Click on “Start” “Run” and type in msconfig, then click OK).
Another cause is – believe it or not – a corrupt .wav file. If there’s a problem with the sound file that plays on shutdown, the computer won’t shut down properly. Change this from “Start” “Settings” “Control Panel” and “Sounds”; change “Windows shutdown” to no sound.
If these don’t help, go to http://www.microsoft.com and search their knowledge base.
Uh, the Digital Duo (and other computer experts) have called this suggestion one of the top ten signs you’re getting lousy computer support. Defrag really doesn’t fix anything (other than speeding up your access time slightly).
I really appreciate the kind words, RealityChuck.
Another way to truly check what programs are running is to use CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up the Close Program dialog box. Try shutting down everything except “systray” and “explorer” before you quit Windows in the proper manner.
If one of the programs does not want to quit, or locks up the computer, you may have found your culprit. Ascertain whether you need to run this bit of code. If not, try disabling it permanently by preventing it from loading. This may mean clearing it from the \WINDOWS\STARTUP folder, searching through WIN.INI or SYSTEM.INI, or (God Forbid) editing the registry. Good luck!
The take home message is that when several bits of code are running simultaneously, the chances of Windows falling over increase greatly. I have seen a few perfectly good Windows installations get choked to death by users who insist on having things like Office toolbars, IE launch bars, instant messaging applets, system diagnostics etc all trying to live together on the taskbar and system tray.
Live by the KISS principle: keep it simple, stupid!
The bios also has to be set for shutdown. Also, you can search the net for ‘computer won’t shut down’ & get lots of web sites with info.
I have a similar problem with Windows Me. It will actually shut down, but once shut down, turns itself back on. Only way I can get around this is to choose restart instead of shutdown, and hit the off button once it reads my CD-ROM.
On the Topic at hand however, I had a similar problem with my windows 98.* Culprit? A Windows theme, one of the kind that have a shutdown screen. If you have a custom theme packet of any sorts, you might try to set it back to the default and see if that helps.
*Not exactly the same. Windows 98 would sit at the “Windows is shutting down” screen for about 10 mins before it shut of. Which sure as hell gave it the impression it wouldn’t turn off.
I have the same problem! I’ve cleared everything from the task manager, including systray, so that only explorer is left, and still it won’t shut itself down. Is there some other way to figure out what program is causing this? I’m so tired of going through scandisk every time I turn on my computer.
I’ve noticed that if I let it start up, and then shut it down again without opening any programs or doing anything, it shuts down with no problems, so I don’t think it’s anything in my startup folder. It must be a program that I use often that causes it, but the only programs I always use, and which isn’t running at start-up are Internet Explorer and my DSL connection. At least, that’s all I can think of.
Actually, one other possible problem that occured to me is Java. Some sites have java applets and activex things that don’t seem to shut themselves off correctly, yet aren’t displayed in the task manager. Still, it wouldn’t happen that consistently then.
forgot to add that I don’t have any sounds on my computer, nor any other images at the end, except the default “windows is shutting down” one.
< Before I even opened this thread I knew it was Win 98 >
You need to go and get the update from Microsoft’s website. There is a known bug in Win98. Second Edition 'sposedly cured that but since you have the first 98 version you definately need to update it.
It will take forever on a dial up modem (takes a long time on a T1 connection even) but it should cure your shut down whoas.
There are many many possible reasons. Eventually though, these things sometimes correct themselves. 'puters, shrug.
This is a known problem with PC’s using PCI modems with Windows 98 and ATX MB’s and power supplies. The system just hangs at shutdown. It’s a real PITA. There is a “shutdown” patch you can DL from Microsoft but it only works about half the time.
I would suggest upgrading to Windows Millennium if your PC can handle it as this solves the Win98 “shutdown problem” most of the time. I would suggest a clean install (ie from a formatted hard disk if at all possible).
Alternatively there is a workaround. I’m trying to remember how 98 1st edition implements it but there is a tab (somewhere) wherein you can disable automatic shutdown and simply have the PC stop at the “It’s OK to Shutdown your PC” screen (vs powering all the way down) which you then do manually. I don’t have Win98 1st ed so hopefully someone else can provide the exact location of this tab.
I have Win 98 SE–my cousin the computer geek installed it that way in late '99–and my PC does the same thing…sometimes. It says “Windows is shutting down” and then it doesn’t go off. I turn it off anyway and of course, when I boot it up again, it says I didn’t shut it down right.
It tends to do this more often if I stay on it for a long time.
I’m studying all these posts with great interest.
To ariadne:
I don’t like sitting through the ScanDisk thing either, and I was told to just hit the letter “x” on the keyboard. That stops it in its tracks and lets me go on about my business.
astro, I have an ATX MoBo and a PCI modem…no problems with Win98 SE and even then I don’t have updates.
It’s almost always a good idea to update to the most recent update that MS puts out. Consumer OSs are usually the best of updates, on the server end, let someone else find the bugs…happened with us on NT 4.0 SP 4…boogered up all kinds of stuff with Exchange.
Sorry…should have been more specific "This is a known problem with some PC’s
The MS shutdown patch file is here
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/contents/WURecommended/S_WUFeatured/Win98SE/Default.asp
I notice now it is for WIN98 SE only. If OP’s OS is non-SE supplement may not be useful (or installable for that matter).
If you don’t like that scandisk thing coming up you can turn if off so it don’t!
Anyway the OP said that it worked before so who knows what changed?
It’s mostly because Bill Gates is an aggressive jerk, embittered by the theft of a version of Basic he coauthored several years before getting involved with the IBM PC and DOS. Ever since, he’s figured out the most cynical approach possible to every business situation, and, the business world being what it is, he’s been better rewarded than any other human in the history of the planet.
More specifically, every single item that gets added to the PC/DOS design is made spectacularly clumsy and riddled with little mistakes so that it sometimes works consistently with the thousand other things that are already out there, and everybody can give their money to Gates rather than make a change.
Even more specifically, it’s obviously something malfunctioning. For all I know it could be any of the above items. But it could also be what messed up my Gateway Astro. The keyboard uses a USB port, and it appears that the on switch is mapped somehow into the keyboard or else is a separate device on that bus. If other USB devices interfere somehow, those things may stop working or start interfering with each other. I have a Zip disk on my system, but if I turn the machine on with the Zip disk connected, other USB devices never work (and I can’t turn the machine off unless I actually pull the power plug out). If I start the machine without the Zip disk, and then plug it in after booting is finished, everything works (such as it ever does).
Napier, this is not the place to air your bigotry about all things Microsoft.
In this forum we fight ignorance, not cloud it with cynicism.