Windows XP won't shut down...

[orion23]

I'm trying to fix a compaq notebook with 512MB of ram and a 30GB HD

I removed everything from the startup list (MSCONFIG) and disabled all NON-Microsoft services.
Still, the PC won't shut down, I even waited for about 1 hour and nothing happens.

Fully updated, ran Kaspersky antivirus and Lavasoft's AdAware and both found NO PROBLEMS.

WTH!

Anybody?

TIA!

 

[Azndude2190]

Unplug the cord if all else fails.

 

[orion23]

Someone please help!

 

[Nick5324]

Odd, maybe a repair install of Windows XP would help. Note, the windows disk must be the same service pack level. So, if your Windows disc is XP SP1, but the computer has since been updated to SP2, no dice.

 

[kylef]

Is it a full hang (i.e., mouse cursor is frozen)?

In almost all cases, hangs on shutdown are caused by drivers failing to shut down properly when told to do so by the PnP Manager.

This could be a disk driver which is stuck waiting for an I/O operation to complete, or some other driver which is in such a bad state that it fails to process IRPs.

My advice would be to disable all unnecessary devices one by one (in device manager) and try to shut down each time. If you still haven't found the culprit, I would start trying to update other critical drivers (display, disk controller, etc.)

The only way to know for sure what is causing the system to hang on shutdown is to hook up a kernel debugger, but this typically requires more patience and time than your average person is willing to invest.

 

[orion23]

Thanks for the help guys.

AT this point I've spent more time on this PC than I should have.
I told the person to save all her information on a disk (not much) and that I would rather format the PC and start from scratch which would be much easier for me (except for the calling MS for activation part)

Thanks everybody!