About a month ago my computer (Win 98,2nd Ed) started refusing to shut
down. When I click on start and shutdown it automatically does a
restart so I've been shutting it down with the power button. Is there
a simple solution I don't know about?
Dave Wheeler

Hello captdave-ga,

First of all, visit the site:
"A LITTLE COMPUTER MAINTENANCE"
http://www.paperpanache.com/maintain.htm

Follow the instructions for cleaning and defragmenting your machine.
Also, run scandisk by right-clicking on C:/ drive in 'my computer',
and selecting scandisk with the 'automatically fix errors' option
ticked.

Next, Download regclean 4.1a from:
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3000-2094-881470.html?tag=list

Once downloaded, run the regclean executable file from the desktop.

Attempt to shut down computer, possibly this will fix your problem.

After running regclean, should you have problems with windows or any
other application, click the 'undo' file regclean created. It should
be sat on your desktop, if you originally ran regclean from there.

(This is a failsafe operation which will reverse any changes
to the registry made by regclean.)

If the above fails to clear your problem, go to:
START>PROGRAMS>ACCESSORIES>SYSTEM TOOLS>SYSTEM INFORMATION
and run the 'system file checker' option.

If the above fails to clear your problem, visit:
Microsoft Windows Update
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp
-allow the site to install and run "windows update", then follow the
instructions to
download and install any update files available for your computer.
Epecially, get any 'critical updates' offered.

If the above fails to clear your problem, try disabling any antivirus
software.

If the problem still persists,

Visit:
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - Q239887
Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q239887

If the problem still persists, insert your Windows 98 SE cdrom,
make sure you have your registration code to hand, and re-run
setup.exe . This will perform a reinstall of Windows, 'over the
top' of your existing installation. This procedure should preserve 
your existing work, programs etc., but to be on the safe side I would
tend to only use this method as a last resort, and then, I'd make sure
that I had working drivers for all hardware, install files for all
important software, and backups of all important files just in case..


Search Strategy:
Search terms used (all in Google Web Search):
disk clean up windows 98
shutdown problem windows 98
microsoft windows update

Hope this helps; if you would like further information, please do not
hesitate to ask for an answer clarification before rating.

gan

---

Clarification of Answer by gan-ga on 01 Nov 2002 07:18 PST

Excerpt from answer:

Visit: 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - Q239887 
Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q239887 

Note that the URL above does not seem to post as a workable link - I
suggest you copy the entire line into your browsers' Address: box,
using copy-paste.

I only added 3 stars because although you did a lot of work on the
subject none of it solved my problem.

captdave,

When you click "Start-->Shut Down", you should get a little "Shut Down
Windows" dialog box that allows you to select either "Shut Down" or
"Restart". It's possible that your selection accidentally got changed
a month ago without you realizing that that had happened. The selected
option will stay the same until you change it. Try pulling down the
little arrow in the "Shut Down Windows" dialog box to select "Shut
Down" instead of "Restart", then click "OK", and see if that does the
trick for you.

Regards,

aceresearcher

Captdave,

One question no-one has asked is whether you are connected to an
ethernet network.  If you are you should check your computer BIOS and
make sure that "wake on LAN" is not enabled.  If it is, your computer
may be shutting down properly only to experience traffic on the
network that causes it to boot up per your bios configuration
settings.

To resolve this go to Power in your BIOS settings (check your system
documentation on how to enter the BIOS or "System Setup" of your
particular computer).  Change the network action to "Remain Off" or
"Disable" or something comparable.

--Hope this helps

cascadefx

This problem might also be related to the ACPI/PowerManagement BIOS
setting: ACPI should be enabled. If you have changed any such setting
recently, try to revert to the previous state (used at Windows
installation time).

hi buddy!

click start->run->in the run box type "sfc" without quotes.  you will
get a window...click on start in there and see whether there is any
corrupt file.  if there is such file it gonna ask you for
restoring...if it asks you then the restore from box should contain
"c:\windows\options\cabs" without quotes again.

2)next you can try disk cleanup.  start->programs->accessories->system
tools->disk cleanup

3) you may also use msconfig in run box.  try to disable startup from
there.

do update me with the status!

bye for now

I had the same problem. Insead of shutting down it would start up
again. The problem was related to one of the ethernet cards that I had
in the machine that did not have the latest driver. Once I loaded all
the latest drivers the problem went away. Hope this helps