Problems Shutting Down Windows 98 Second Edition

This article describes how to troubleshoot shutdown and restart problems in Windows 98 Second Edition specifically, not Microsoft Windows 98. For additional information about troubleshooting Windows 98 shutdown problems, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

When Windows 98 Second Edition does not shut down properly, it may appear to stop responding (hang) for several minutes while the following message is displayed on the screen: Or, you may see only a blank screen and a blinking cursor, or your computer may restart instead of shutting down.

Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement

Microsoft has released the Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement that addresses shutdown issues on computers with specific hardware and software configurations running Windows 98 Second Edition. These issues include computers restarting when shutting down and computers hanging on shutdown.

Microsoft recommends following the troubleshooting steps that are outlined in this article. If, after following the steps that are outlined in this article, the computer continues to exhibit shutdown problems, Microsoft suggests applying this update. For additional information about how to obtain the Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: NOTE: After you apply the Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement, the Disable Fast Shutdown option is no longer listed on the Advanced tab in Msconfig.exe.

Troubleshooting

For information about troubleshooting Windows 98 Second Edition shutdown problems, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Common Causes of Shutdown Problems

Shutdown problems in Windows 98 Second Edition can be caused by any of the following issues:

• The Fast Shutdown registry key is enabled.
• There is a damaged Exit Windows sound file.
• A program or terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program may not close correctly.
• An incompatible, damaged, or conflicting device driver is loaded.
• There is an incompatible Advanced Power Management (APM) or Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) setting.
• There is an incompatible Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) configuration setting.
• The computer contains incorrectly configured or damaged hardware.
• There is a video adapter that is not assigned an IRQ in real mode.

NOTE: Windows 98 Second Edition includes the latest updates for ACPI, OnNow, and APM. In addition, the Fast Shutdown code that was implemented with the initial release of Windows 98 has been removed to support these new features.

Although Windows 98 Second Edition includes many new drivers, not all third-party manufacturers have had a chance to update their hardware drivers. Some existing computers or devices may require an updated BIOS or device driver to fully support Windows 98 Second Edition.

Known Issues

IRQ Steering

This option allows several PCI devices to share the same interrupt request line (IRQ). If the BIOS is not fully compliant, this option may cause your computer not to shut down properly, even if two or more devices are not sharing an IRQ. To disable PCI bus IRQ Steering, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
2. On the Device Manager tab, click System Devices.
3. Double-click PCI Bus, and then click to clear the Use IRQ Steering check box on the IRQ Steering tab.
4. Click OK, click OK, and then restart your computer.
5. After you restart the computer, attempt to shut down your computer again.

If your computer shuts down successfully, you may need to change the BIOS configuration or you may need a BIOS update. For information about how to do so, contact your BIOS manufacturer.

Resume on Ring and LAN

Disabling the “Resume on Ring and LAN” feature in the computer’s BIOS may solve some shutdown-related issues. For information about how to do so, contact your computer or BIOS manufacturer.

Plug and Play BIOS

In some cases, the BIOS and Windows may not be communicating properly with the computer hardware during the shutdown process. You can configure Windows 98 Second Edition to ignore the presence of a Plug and Play BIOS and communicate directly with the hardware.

NOTE: Use this method for testing purposes only. Leaving the Plug and Play BIOS disabled may cause some hardware to stop working.

To configure Windows not to use the Plug and Play BIOS:

1. Restart your computer, and press and hold CTRL until you see the Windows 98 Startup menu.
2. Choose Command Prompt Only.
3. Type the following line at the command prompt:
   cd \windows\system
4. Rename the Bios.vxd file to Bios.old.
5. Restart your computer.
6. After the computer restarts, attempt to shut down Windows.

If the computer shuts down correctly, the system BIOS is likely to be contributing to the shutdown problems. Contact the motherboard or BIOS manufacturer for a possible update.

For additional information about your computer's BIOS, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

NVRAM/ESCD

There are specific settings for how the BIOS and Windows interact during the startup and shutdown processes. To check this, disable the NVRAM/ESCD updates feature to determine if doing so resolves the shutdown problem. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
2. On the Device Manager tab, double-click System Devices.
3. Click Plug and Play BIOS, and then click to select the Disable NVRAM / ESCD updates check box on the Settings tab.
4. Click OK, click OK, and then restart your computer.
5. After you restart the computer, attempt to shut down your computer again.

Fast Shutdown Registry Key Is Enabled

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
The Microsoft System Configuration utility includes an option to disable Fast Shutdown. If this option is not set in Windows 98 Second Edition, your computer may reboot instead of shutting down. To resolve this issue, change the FastReboot data value from 1 to 0 in the following registry key: NOTE: After you apply the Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement, the Disable Fast Shutdown option is no longer listed on the Advanced tab in Msconfig.exe.

Antivirus Program

If you have an antivirus program that is configured to scan your floppy disk drive when you shut down your computer, your computer may stop responding. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Replacing the Configmg.vxd File

Microsoft has become aware that some customers have replaced the Windows 98 Second Edition version of the Configmg.vxd file with the Windows 98 version to address shutdown issues. Microsoft strongly recommends that you not do this. This is an untested scenario that could result in fatal error messages, CPI errors, and hardware failures. The Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement detects whether the appropriate version of the Configmg.vxd file is installed, and replaces any earlier version with the Windows 98 Second Edition version.

Functions Performed During the Shutdown Process

Windows 98 Second Edition tries to perform many functions during the shutdown process, including:

• Completion of all disk write functions.
• Flushing the disk cache.
• Running the Close Window code to close all currently running programs.
• Transitioning all Protected-mode drivers to Real mode.

If this article does not describe your shutdown-related issue, please see the following Microsoft Web site to view more articles about shutting down Windows 98: