In this article we are going to talk a little about why my computer shut down time is so slow We have a lot of questions about computers that run good but the shutdown process takes way longer then it is supposed to. Once the shut down command is initiated, some systems will spin the hard drive seemingly forever until the shutdown finally occurs.

Computer shut down issues can be caused by many reasons from software to hardware. By far one of the most common is a program that is using too many resources. In order to determine this, open up your Task Manager while the computer is running. Click on the Process tab. Take a close look at some of the programs that are running and how many CPU cycles they are using. If you spot a program that is using a high percentage, simply close the program. If you cannot close the program stop the process from running by highlighting the process and clicking on the end process tab of your Task Manager. You will get a complaint window but close it anyway. Now try to do your computer shut down. If the system shuts down normally you have found your problem. You will either have to shut the program down before shutting down or if it is something you can live without, just uninstall it. If you still have issues, repeat the process again. In addition, be sure to unplug all your USB devices as a test. Sometimes these devices will stop your computer from shutting down and in some cases from starting. If your system now shuts down normally, you are done.

Some computers have their virtual memory set to delete when the computer shuts down. This will add up to a few minutes for the shut down process to occur. Unless you have a specific security need for this to happen, I recommend you turn this option off. In Windows XP, go to Start>Control Panel>Administrator Tools>Local Security Policy>Local Policies>Security Options. Look at the options and find the “Clear virtual memory page file when system shuts down “ entry. Be sure the setting is Disabled. If it is Enabled click on the line and change the setting in the box that appears. If you are running Windows Vista or later, follow these steps. Go to Start and type”secpol.msc” without the quotes in the search box and hit enter. Expand the Local Policies. Click on Security Options. Look in the Security Setting column on the right side and find “Shutdown: Clear virtual memory page file” entry. Click on the entry and change to Disabled if it is Enabled.

Stopping the computer from deleting these files is not a security risk for most people and it will decrease the shutdown time of your computer significantly. Most of these steps will ultimately solve many of your shutdown issues but some can be hard to diagnose. In cases such as this, always consult a professional technician before trying to do things like registry editing and the like.

 

Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer