Shutdown Malfunctioning in Windows 7

[ThinkBaz]

Hi.  I've read some other similar posts, but none addressed my experiences exactly.  Basically, sometimes Windows 7 doesn't shutdown - other times it does.  The problem seems to occur after extended periods of use.  I'm forced to manually shut it off via the on/off button.  Sometimes upon Startup afterwards, I receive a message indicating an "unexpected shutdown" other times not.  All updates are installed.  I have no other operating systems installed. 

[gmojo02]

The first thing you may want to determine is whether its a 3rd party program causing the "hang" or a Win7 process.  Have you checked the event logs for application or system errors?

gm

[PSUpete]

"me too" -- it occurred for me under W-7(64) using 802.1x + builtin VPN.  BEFORE I would try to SLEEP, I would disconnect VPN and shutdown the 802.1x gracefully.  I closed the apps that I had opened but only the screen would blank but NEVER actually go into SLEEP.

This did not happen in all VPN scenarioes.  It did not seem to matter whether the battery was the power source.

I read on a MS KB that there was a "fix" for some Virtual Machine environment which did not apply to me.

/Pete

[gmojo02]

Well..... it could be a number of things. Maybe have a look at this.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/977307

gm

[ThinkBaz]

Thanks gm. 

Just for the record (for others' experiencing the problem), the hotfix didn't work.  So, I called tech support in Atlanta, and they were no help, although he said the ticket would be kept in pending status and if a solution was found, I could learn of it when I called back.  He suggested it could be a corrupt driver, and suggested re-imaging the disk, at which I was rather incredulous.  That's more than a little drastic, given that there's little if any guarantee that would solve the problem.  He directed back here to the forum, so...

[gmojo02]

TB - I hear ya on re-imaging the disk...... I have listed a couple more things below you may want to try.

* Check event logs as listed above.

*Disable all third party services (msconfig) and startup entries (just to try and isolate the isssue) and see if that makes a difference.

* Does it happen while shutting down in Safe Mode?

* Have a look at the dump file. I would also suspect a driver issue.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315263

Hope this is helpful....

gm

[Svein_Skogen]

What solved this for me, was the combination of the hotfix listed here, and this one:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975496

Apply them in numerical order (lowest number first)

//Svein

[ThinkBaz]

Hi.  Thanks to everyone who offered help.  It appears (about two weeks now and no problem, except once, but I think it was something else) gm's suggestions solved the issue, especially his recommendation to install hotfix #977307.  I actually installed it: no problem; then uninstalled it: problem.  I didn't install the second hotfix because I don't have bitlocker running. 

Some notes to possibly help others with a similar, but not exact problem.  Some suggested (in other forums, blogs) that winword.exe could be preventing shutdown.  That's reasonable given it's a Microsoft application on a MS o.s., so what else could prevent its own o.s. from shutting down?  Also, I suspect the switchable graphics issue detailed quite well in this forum under several threads could be involved.  In that, it's the only error messages I'm getting now.  I know that's not exactly a clear connection, but it's my suspicion. 

ThinkBaz

[ThinkBaz]

Well, it isn't solved. I'm thinking it's connected to another problem, but with the conexant drivers. What happened to new top-of-the-line computers just working?

[boruvek]

I have a problem with Shutdown on my two weeks old W510 ....