UNSOLVED
shut down/start up problems
After receiving tons of pop-up ads all of a sudden, a Dell rep instructed me to erase everything and then reinstall my system. During the many hours of instruction, my monitor would sometimes go dark gray and the computer could not be shut down with the start button. I had to turn off the computer and then restart it. It would start up in safe mode. Most of my system has been restored after many days; however, one problem remains. At least 50% of the time now, when I click the start button, then choose shut down, the screen gets as far as the "Windows 98 is shutting down" window, and then freezes and doesn't shut off. Also, when trying to boot up the computer, I now often get the window showing that the machine is in safe mode and giving me so many seconds to choose normal mode. In addition, once in a while when I turn on the computer, I just get a dark gray screen. Any help out there?
- Thanks, Chik. I just spent the last half hour exploring a microsoft support site that had tons of tech info (over my head) about shutdown problems. I also was looking at the Critical Updates page. When I was instructed to erase and then reinstall my system, did I lose any Windows critical updates that I had already added to my system, or do you think her reinstall instructions automatically updated me to where I should be? I'll deal with this another day!
- nancynp,
You can check your critical updates by peforming the following:
- Navigate to Start|programs|accessories|systemtools|system information;
- At System Information, expand the [+] next to Software Environment;
- Then expand the [+] next to Software Updates...and so on and so forth.
The Windows 98 Shutdown Problem is notorious. Give your computer approximately eight minutes to shutdown. Also, give yourself twenty seconds or so before you click the final shutdown radiobutton, after you have clicked Start|Shutdown.
There are some drivers that will hang Windows if they are not given a few seconds to perform their own closing.
If, after giving Windows approximately eight minutes, your computer continues to stubbornly refuse to shutdown, then you have two choices:
- Use the CPU button, or
- Read through the maize of Windows Shutdown technical literature.
I would not wish the final solution on anyone. It seems to me that if the problem is still in existence after you have used the Microsoft Update site to correct for it, then its not going to go away. - Navigate to Start|programs|accessories|systemtools|system information;
Chik
453 Posts
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Posted January 13th, 2004 01:00
Windows Shutdown Troubleshooter
How to Troubleshoot Windows 98 Shutdown Problems
Computer Stops Responding When You Try to Shut It Down
Going to the Windows Update Catalog and downloading and installing available Windows 98 updates may help.
Scroll down to Additional Resources & Related Sites and click Microsoft Windows Update.
Windows 98 Support Center