Shutdown problem

Wait a long time after it says shutting down. It may just be working in the background. If that doesn't work, if it shuts down okay by itself, start it right back up but don't load any programs other than what usually come up. Then shut it down. If it goes of okay do this a couple more times. There are some things in windows that it will learn and may repair itself.

Another idea is to find task manager just before you shut down if 98 has it - don't remember - and look around in the programs list and see if there is anything that isn't running also look in the processes list and see if you see anything.
Anything that looks abnormal like Outlook being there when you don't have outlook running. Or two versions of msiexplorer running.

If all else fails buy a new computer and rid your life of the pitfalls of 98 and skip right over the problems of XP and dive right into the pit of vista :laugh:

I'd guess others will have other thoughts!

 

For the love of all that's holy, don't do Vista!!

I'd take that old PC, format the HDD, load up Ubuntu Linux, and watch that bad boy scream like a revival preacher!!

 

Tom, it's Linux based and free. I haven't used it, but on other discussion boards I'm on, it's discussed in a very nice light

http://www.ubuntu.com/

 

Right. Linux, being open source, is free for people to package up with different software. Among Linux users, they call these packages "distributions" or "distros" for short. Ubuntu is very easy to use, and it boots off the CD so you can try it out before you install to your HDD. Bear in mind, the live CD will be much slower than the installed version.

It comes with OpenOffice, a MS Office-compatible productivity suite, Firefox, and tons of other software. You can also download more programs for free and install them from your desktop using a program called Synaptic. Highly recommended.

The new version comes out tomorrow! Ubuntu 7.10, known as "Gutsy Gibbon".

 

What problems of XP are you referring to? XP is the 2nd best version of Windows that M$ released.

As to the OP, there's something that's continuing to run and won't shutdown. It's not uncommon to pre-Win2k versions of Windows. You could try opening Task Manager and looking at the running processes to see if one of them is consuming processor cycles, which might mean it's the one that's stopping Windows from shutting down.

 

" What problems of XP are you referring to? XP is the 2nd best version of Windows that M$ released."

1. My comments were not a rating of the systems. Some could suggest that the first best windows system is mediocre at best but I won't because I really don't mind xp.

2. Notice the smiley face - JOKE - "pitfalls of 98 and skip right over the problems of XP and dive right into the pit of vista :laugh:"

3. But if you want a list I'm sure many folks could add to a list - like the blue screen that appears for no apparent reason, or the microsoft install program running at boot up when nothing is being installed, or the sleep mode that seldom works, or the icons that change from their cute little selves to the generic microsoft icons then a week or so later magically change back to their cute little selves, or windows options changing all by their little lonesomes without human intervention and I'm sure the list could go on to include all the automatic updates that will not install correctly and keep trying but keep failing :thumbs:

And very true many of these problems are probably fixable, but most of us buy a computer to use it, not fix it all the time :tonofbricks:

 

Tom,

I remember there being a shutdown issue with 98. I don't know if you can still find the files to correct it on Windows Updates or not, but I remember having to correct that problem in a computer lab once.

David

 

Thanks to hearing about Linux one more time I have now installed Ubuntu 7.1 as a dual boot to my system. Now we will see if I like it or not. One thing that supprised me was I didn't have to configue my internet connection at all. I installed Linux and was able to connect to the net immeadiatly.

Bill

 

Great. I think you'll enjoy it a lot. I know I do. I have a Ubuntu / WinXP dual boot, a Fedora Linux only system, and this laptop that came with Vista. If the hardware in the lappy wasn't so tied to Vista, I'd have Linux on it also.

 

I purchased a Kubuntu version that is supposed to run windows programs using a linux program called "Wine" only wine is not to be found on the cdrom and the guy won't answer my emails.

Found the website for wine but you have to mess with the registry to that :laugh:

Glad I didn't pay too much for it!

Looks like a nice system if it would take the windows programs I need.

 

I used to find that with Windows 98 too. Now I have Windows XP, and aqlthough it is usually OK at shutting down, if I still have an Internet connection open when I click "Turn off Computer", I get almost the same problem as you describe, except that it freezes on "Saving Your Settings" (so before it gets to "Windows is shutting down.")

 

I was thinking of using "chkdsk c: /f" from a command prompt...