Why The Long Shut Down?

For years now I've noted that XP sure doesn't like shutting down, or rebooting, and it seems that the longer the OS has been up and running, the longer it takes to shut down.

This morning for instance I wanted to reboot into Linux, and that damn "Windows is shutting down" hung for over 15 minutes. While I'm waiting, there is no hard drive light clicking away, or any other indication that anything is actually happening.

Does anyone know which services or other features associated with XP cause this? Is this caused by something else?

Thanks,
Wolf

 

I'm just throwing this out with no direct answer:

I have never experienced this unless it was a precursor to hardware or O/S problems.
That said, I have no experience with dual boot systems to date.

I do use this program:
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/win_prefetch_view.html
I can clean up old entries in prefetch without corrupting prefetch.
It "feels" like it is booting/shutting down faster but can't say for sure.

I also use:
Ultra Defrag V6.1.2 (not the latest but works very well on XP)
https://sourceforge.net/projects/ultradefrag/

Caution:
"...DO NOT REMOVE OR DELETE THE ->(layout.ini)<- FILE WHICH RESIDES IN XP'S PREFETCH
FOLDER OR YOU WILL SLOW DOWN YOUR PC AT START UP AND WHEN YOU OPEN
WINDOWS PROGRAMS. Once it is gone it can stay gone on some PC'S (like mine) for ever and your
Prefetch Folder will never work again no matter what you do in the registry to try to rectify the problem..."
From:
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/331072-repair-xp-prefetch-folder

I do believe that prefetch is a boot/seek application. Not sure if it helps shut down

 

Have you run checkdisk with the /r parameter?

I always run after a power outage, and once your issue occurred on my pc, but went away after running checkdisk.

before I run checkdisk I like to run ccleaner and then defrag the pc and then run checkdisk.

 

Do This

Straight after start up

Press CTRL ALT Delete. You will bring up windows task manager. You should see not more than 15 processes if your machine is set up well. I set up my machine in 2006. So, after 17 years of constant running, it takes about 5 seconds to shut down. I have included a screen shot of what you should see. Obviously, the name of your computer will be in place of my name.

To get any machine to this point is easy.

Check what is in start-up. (Do nothing yet)

Go in Regedit check what is in ……

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

SOFTWARE

Microsoft

Windows

CurrentVersion

Run

Should it be there??? Is it written by some daft twit who did computing, pshcology or advertising at university???????

Repeat process for

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

SOFTWARE

Microsoft

Windows

CurrentVersion

Run

Now look at MSConfig

What is in Start up There ?????

Now remove from Start UP before reg before MSConfig.

Usually takes about 5 – 12 reboots.

After this check what have you been doing before shut down???

What is grabbing processes????

Find what is naughty. Remove from machine, from reg from program files, Application Data, Local Settings.

Always use Ghost or some other back up cloning software at every stage of build. That way when you get problems you have a coffee and instead of a cry.

What you should see below