I'm experiencing an extremely slow restart time with Windows XP
Professional.  After initiating the restart, the computer acknowledges
it because I can no longer launch any programs, but the Shutting Down
screen does not appear for about two minutes.  Start-up time is fine. 
I reformatted to try to fix this problem.  Reformatting worked as the
issue did not begin happening until I downloaded the Windows Critical
Fixes Updates.  I tried to use a System Restore to go back to a point
before downloading these, but it still took about two minutes to
restart.  I also tried booting up in safe mode to ensure that an open
program was not causing this problem and that also did not work.  I'm
on a Dell 2.4GHz 512 MB SDRAM with GeForce Ti 4600 and Turtle Beach
Santa Cruz cards.

Please post suggestions in the clarification area so that I can test
them.  If they do work, I will notify you immediately so you can
receive the payment.

Thanks,
chis-ga

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Clarification of Question by chis-ga on 20 Jul 2003 18:27 PDT

Hmm, after checking again I have confirmed that restarts DO work
properly both in safe mode and when I tell Windows to not open any
startup programs from MSCONFIG.

Open programs that start up with computer:
AIM
ircN
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz Volume
McAfee Guardian
VirusScan Home Edition

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Request for Question Clarification by livioflores-ga on 20 Jul 2003 18:47 PDT

There are thousand of possible causes.
This behavior is relatively normal if you are using software like
GoBack.
We also need to know wich programs are running always on your PC (give
us the list of msconfig startup tab).
You also told us that the start up time is fine, but may be the
following link will be useful:
http://xptips.tripod.com/bootvis.html

Another probability is the policy to clear the paging file on
shutdown, which can add up more than one minute to an XP shutdown.
Check your system for this:
Control Panel --> Admin Tools --> Local Security Policy --> Security
Settings --> Local Policies --> Shutdown: Clear virtual memory
pagefile --> Right click --> Properties --> Disabled.
Before do this task consult the help for this (same procedure but
select help instead of Properties).

Also see the following page:
"Latest Windows XP patch can slow down PCs ":
http://www.techynetwork.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=70


Hope this helps. Please tell me if somethig here work or not to
continue the research or not

livioflores-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by livioflores-ga on 20 Jul 2003 19:04 PDT

I just see the your clarification post and if the "Clear virtual
memory Pagefile" policy does not work try unchecking the startup
programs at msconfig one by one. And tell us wich one fail.

livioflores-ga

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Clarification of Question by chis-ga on 20 Jul 2003 22:04 PDT

Livioflores,

You can post your clarification as the answer.  It turns out that it
was indeed a startup program, my "iTouch" keyboard software that
controls the multimedia/extra buttons on my Logitech keyboard.  I
found that someone else was experiencing this after searching for it. 
Looks like I'll be getting myself a new Microsoft Multimedia
keyboard...

Thanks for your advice.

-chis

Hi chis!!

Well, it is a good new to know that your problem is solved, and also
to have provided to you useful help.

As I told you in the clarification, there are a lot of possible
causes.
The most common is the policy to clear the paging file on shutdown,
which can add up more than one minute to an XP shutdown.
Check your system for this: 
Control Panel --> Admin Tools --> Local Security Policy --> Security
Settings --> Local Policies --> Shutdown: Clear virtual memory
pagefile --> Right click --> Properties --> Disabled.
Before do this task consult the help for this (same procedure but
select help instead of Properties).

Sometimes the Windows updates promote this behaviors:
"Latest Windows XP patch can slow down PCs ": 
http://www.techynetwork.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=70


Finally if doesn´t work, may be a software and/or a hardware have
compatibility troubles. To check the software that always start with
windows run msconfig program and unchecking the startup programs at
msconfig one by one you will find if one of them are causing the
problem.

You found that the keyboard software that controls the
multimedia/extra buttons on your Logitech keyboard is the guilty one
and there are several references about this problem in the internet
searching in Google with the keywords:
Logitech keyboard slow shutdown xp
Logitech keyboard itouch slow shutdown xp

For example at the Techspot Forums I found the following post:
"ive been trying to figure out why my computer has been shutting down
for some time now and the other day i was messing around and closed
the itouch application for the keyboard that sets the keys and then
tried to log off and it tood less than 10 sec rather than the 1 to 2
min log off time that i was experiensing. i havent found a fix for it
but have narrowed the problem to that application. oh yah btw i am
runniong winxp so it seems to be affecting several different os's."
http://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread/t-4047.html

Unfortunately, Logitech apparently has decided that they will not be
updating the driver for this keyboard.


Best Regards.
livioflores-ga

Great answer to an annoying problem.