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Windows 7 stuck on shutdown screen

Anonymous
2010-01-12T08:55:42+00:00

Ever since I upgraded to Windows 7, I cannot properly shut down my PC. Sometimes when I try to shut down, Windows 7 hangs on the shut down (this doesn't happen all the time though, sometimes my comp shuts down fine). I've searched online for solutions but none did the trick.

Tonight I left my computer on the shutdown screen and decided not to manually shut it down by pressing the power button to see what would happen. I left it on for ~10 mins and then it restarted by itself the same way it restarts when you press down the power button - and this led to the screen where you have the option to run in safe made or normal. Now I am on the desktop with a Windows Error Report being sent. The next time I shut down my computer, I'll log off first then shut it down from there and see if that helps.

Am I only one experiencing this BS? Is there a fix? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-01-12T13:26:39+00:00

    Shutdown issues are generally caused by a program and/or process that is refusing to exit gracefully. The program and/or process can be from malware or can be legitimate (such as an invasive antivirus like Norton or McAfee). If you are using a Norton or McAfee product,  uninstall it and replace with a better program such as NOD32, Kasperksy, or Avast (free). The Windows Firewall is adequate for most people. Shutdown issues can also be caused by old/poorly written drivers so make sure all drivers are updated, particularly on Windows Vista and Windows 7.

    A.The first step is always to make sure your computer is virus/malware free.

    http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

    B. If the computer is virus/malware-free, drivers are current, and no Norton or McAfee programs are installed, then do clean-boot troubleshooting to see which program/process is the culprit:

    How to perform a clean boot in Vista and XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796

    How to perform a clean boot in Windows Vista or Windows 7 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

    C. If you need more information, here is an excellent shutdown troubleshooter - http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm

    Standard caveat: If troubleshooting the issue is too difficult - and there is absolutely no shame in admitting this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a computer repair shop. This will not be your local BigComputerStore/GeekSquad type of place. Get recommendations from family, friends, colleagues.

    MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-01-02T04:37:52+00:00

    I had the same issue and saw that that conflicting software could be the problem. I was in the process of booting an iPod in DFU mode earlier that day. I found that unplugging the iPod from my USB slot immediately let the computer shutdown. So be sure to give any new hardware a check!

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2010-02-01T15:08:33+00:00

    I had same issue.  Did a search on the net and apparently we are not the only ones.  Many were solved by turning off windows firewall as it is what is causing it to hang.  Sure enough, I turned it off for all profiles and bam shuts down perfectly and FAST too.  I hope microsoft releases a fix of some sort for this.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2012-12-29T17:23:37+00:00

    My computer started having problems going into hibernate and shutting down soon after I installed (and started using) a program called WinAmp.  Might just be a coincidence, but maybe it was this program causing the problem.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2012-12-15T09:05:24+00:00

    This happened to me last night on shutdown.  I switched off manually because it had been hanging for twenty minutes, but it kept going into restart mode and stuck at the safe boot mode page.  At first I thought my hard drive had died, so turned the computer off at the wall socket and left it for two hours.  When I tried to reboot again it started up as if nothing had occurred and is back to normal now.  Reading your reply got me thinking: earlier that evening my wife had trouble getting a WiFi connection on her Netbook and I had to reset the router attached to the main PC so she could get a line. Prior to that I tried to update the TalkTalk firmware on the router but my router was too old for the firmware.  The programme for this was still on the desktop when I closed the browser down even though I had thought I had closed it earlier, and so I closed it again before shutting down.  It may have been that programme that caused the hanging problem.  I run Kaspersky so knew it wasn't a virus as their Internet security is very efficient.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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