Improper Shutdown Occurrence Is Reported in the Event Viewer System Log

When you restart a computer running Windows NT after it has been shutdown using a utility (such as Shutdown.exe from the Windows NT resource kit) or method that calls the InitiateSystemShutdown() API (for example, remote shutdown), the following error message may appear in the Windows NT Event Viewer System log file:

A remote shutdown issue using the InitiateSystemShutdown() API call was fixed in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4. This fix introduced the symptom listed in this article.

Windows NT Server or Workstation 4.0

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or the individual software update. For information on obtaining the latest service pack, please go to:

• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=E396D059-E402-46EF-B095-A74399E25737&displaylang=en/ (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=E396D059-E402-46EF-B095-A74399E25737&displaylang=en/) -or-
  
  
• 152734  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/152734/EN-US/ ) how to obtain the latest windows nt 4.0 service pack

For information on obtaining the individual software update, contact Microsoft Product Support Services. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition.

This problem was first corrected in Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 6 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 6.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To prevent the improper shutdown event entry from being written to the Event Viewer system log:

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Locate the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Reliability\LastAliveStamp
3. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value:
   Value name: TimeStampInterval
   Data type: REG_DWORD
   Value: The number, in minutes, between time stamp events written to the log. Setting the value to 0 prevents the "last alive" time stamp from being logged. Only boot and normal shutdown events are then written to the log file.
4. Quit Registry Editor.