fed up with shutdown

[bcraig]

for some reason my computer takes about 5 minutes (literally) to shut down. I used to have this problem, but it went away on its own. however, after a little while (about 2 months), it started back up. The computer gets to the point where it turns off the keyboard and mouse so they no longer do anything (lights go off.) And the hard drive light comes on steady, but it doesn't sound like the hard drive is spinning. It will sit like this for around 5 minutes and then blink off all of a sudden. Strange... I guess worse things could happen, but now it started to also do this during a restart, and this is really annoying when you have to tweak stuff and reset to check it. I have just turned it off during this "waiting period" before and not noticed any ill effects, but I don't like doing that. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

[joshsiao]

I have almost the same problem. My shutdown takes about 5 mins too. I click on the shutdown button and nothing happens for 5 mins. All I see is the desktop but I can still move the mouse etc... but cannot open programs like task manager and command prompt. I have tried to shutdown after turning off all the processes first but its still the same.

This problem started after having SP2.

[FastGame]

This might help you guys http://aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.php, I hope :)

[clovis]

try ...http://www.xp-antispy.org/ there is a option on it that can enable fast shutdown...shutdown depends on many things like if you have ms sql server running etc it may take more time,plus if you have a number of services running again that will take more time as windows has to shut them all down...try using the microsoft utility bootvis too to diagnose.....

[bcraig]

I have been kinda busy lately, but I finally got around to messing with it some more. I tried a lot of that stuff from ahuma, and it didn't seem to do anything or didn't apply. My computer gets to the point were it says "windows is shutting down" and freezes there with no mouse or keyboard. I turned if off the other day cause the power went out and it was running on my UPS and when I turned it back on I got a BSOD that said "Bad_Pool_Header." Reset and it was gone. This problem is really getting annoying :mad: . Thanks

[Big Booger]

Try to unplug it from the internet before shutting it off and tell us if that makes it faster.

[bcraig]

ok, I tried that. It didn't seem to make a differenece. This is a relatively new machine and I have been very careful with it, as a virus was the demise of my last one (I love siblings!) I ran Ad-Aware SE and Nortons and they found nothing. From the looks of it, it seems like that the software (i.e. windows) is ready to shut down, but the hardware doesn't respond or something and it eventually times out and shuts off.

[phishhead]

are you using a firewall or is it connected to any other computers and sharing files.

[rik]

You wouldn't happen to have a Netgear USB MA111 Wireless Adapter attached to your system wouldja bcraig? I have seen 2 people woth 0x00000019 Bad_Pool_Header in the last 4 days and they were both caused by that device...

[bcraig]

I am only running the default SP2 firewall. And I am not sharing any files or directly connected to any other computers. However, I am on a campus network, which is the slowest internet I have ever used by the way...

And I am using an onboard Marvell 10/100/1000 ethernet port. No wireless for me :(.

[FastGame]

Ok I don't know whats going on here but I'll throw my 2 cents in...what the heck you never know ???

Do you have a small amount of ram ? maybe you have XP set to clear the page file on shut down ? small amount of ram= large messy page file= long shut down ???? :idea: I hope :nervous:

[bcraig]

I have 1GB of RAM; I checked my page file, but clearing at shutdown is disabled. I have heard someone say it might be a driver conflict or something like that. Thanks again guys, this is helping a lot to narrow it down. Any other ideas?

[rik]

Uncheck all the startup items on the Startup Tab in MSCONFIG. Reboot, and see if this has any effect.

[joshsiao]

Ok, since I had gotten fed up with such a long shutdown, I took matters into my own hands and decided to look at the event viewer for some trace of the problem. And lo and behold, I found this log in the Applications log:


Windows saved user DELL8300\Joshua Siao registry while an application or service was still using the registry during log off. The memory used by the user's registry has not been freed. The registry will be unloaded when it is no longer in use.

This is often caused by services running as a user account, try configuring the services to run in either the LocalService or NetworkService account.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.


I clicked on the link and found a Knowledge Base Article here (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;837115&sd=ee).
It led me to a program by Microsoft used to pinpoint the app that prevents shutdown. A slow shutdown is apprently casued by Windows not being able to unload the registry due to a app still referencing from it. I got the program here and installed it and rebooted.

Then I looked at the logs again and found this:


DELL8300\Joshua Siao, S-1-5-21-1960408961-115176313-725345543-1004, CTHELPER.EXE (1060)

HKCU (0x74)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x98)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x10c)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x110)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x118)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x128)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x12c)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x15c)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x168)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x16c)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x178)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x180)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x238)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x244)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x248)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x258)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x2d8)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x31c)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x33c)

HKCU\Software\Classes (0x340)

.


In short the program CTHelper.exe is causing the problem. I know this to be from my Creative Sound Blaster driver installation so I ran msconfig and disabled it from startup options. Then I restarted and ha! Instant shutdown.

I think this bcraig can use this app to pinpoint his problem. I also ask any moderator or admin to delete my above post as I can declare it null and viod. Thanks.

[Conan]

I also ask any moderator or admin to delete my above post as I can declare it null and viod. Thanks.


Post deleted.

[bcraig]

I figured out something interesting. If I have a CD Rom in all my drives then the computer will shut down fine, if they are empty it takes forever. I think this is because of one CD-RW drive that I have which might not have any official XP drivers. I am preforming more tests as of now.