Article ID: 327565 - Last Review: February 19, 2007 - Revision: 2.3

Computer hangs during shutdown or restarts if multiple programs call the ExitWindowsEx() function

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This article was previously published under Q327565

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SYMPTOMS

If two or more programs try to shut down or restart Windows, the computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows 2000 may stop responding while it is shutting down. The desktop wallpaper may be visible and the mouse pointer may move, but the computer may not respond to keyboard input (including the CTRL+ALT+DELETE key combination). You might have to turn off the computer to continue. If Automatic Update is configured to install updates from Windows Update, from Microsoft Update, or from a Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) server, the Windows 2000 system may stop responding during shutdown or restart after you install updates.

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CAUSE

If multiple programs call the ExitWindowsEx function to shut down or restart Windows at almost the same time, one of the shutdown messages may be discarded incorrectly. When this occurs, the shutdown process does not complete.

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RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support)

Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.
Note There is no Windows 2000 hotfix available for this problem because Windows 2000 is in an extended support phase. For more information, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/servicepacks.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/servicepacks.mspx)

For more information about Microsoft product life cycle policies, visit the following Microsoft Web site: following Web site

http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx?RDPATH=dm;en-us;lifecycle. (http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx?RDPATH=dm;en-us;lifecycle.)

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version       Size       File name
   -------------------------------------------------------
   22-Aug-2002  19:16  5.1.2600.100  1,671,040  Win32k.sys

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