PC won't power-off when shutdown

[simon04]

I could use some help to solve this problem, if anyone has any ideas???

 

I've just fitted a new Biostar motherboard, CPU & RAM, plus a clean install of Win XP......

 

When the system is shutdown, it will no longer power-off automatically....

 

 

Any help much appreciated,

Thanks in advance...

[BeeCeeBee]

I've just fitted

Hi Simon.

 

While it sounds like a hardware problem the words "just fitted" are a little imprecise. Clearly you have booted the computer or you would not know that it did not shut down.

 

Have you downloaded anything at all since your first boot? If it was a clean install did you reload any saved data from an external source?

 

Malware can cause shut down problems so the possibilities must be examined.

Edited December 31, 2008 by BeeCeeBee

[simon04]

Hi Simon.

 

While it sounds like a hardware problem the words "just fitted" are a little imprecise. Clearly you have booted the computer or you would not know that it did not shut down.

 

Have you downloaded anything at all since your first boot? If it was a clean install did you reload any saved data from an external source?

 

Malware can cause shut down problems so the possibilities must be examined.

 

By "just fitted", I meant I've only just fitted those items today, and the shutdown problem was evident the first time I shut down Win XP after the clean install (It's SP2 by the way)...

 

 

I hadn't yet added any other software when the problem occurred on the first shudown.

 

It was a previously used hard drive, which I deleted the partition and started from scratch.

Edited December 31, 2008 by simon04

[simon04]

Not sure if it is related, but another glitch has re-appeared, which I thought was solved.....

 

The system is now failing to boot, and does not display the BIOS screen at all ....... the monitor has no signal....... I just get a long and 2 short beeps, followed by a hi-lo beep....

 

I got the system going when this happened before by removing both the RAMs and refitting them one by one... It was ok for a while, but this might have been fluke...

 

Could this be a faulty new motherboard??

[Guest Wolfeymole]

What is the boards BIOS ?

[Goku]

Hello Simon. If you ever resolve your boot problem, in which Wolfey will assist you, then let us know as there is a simple fix to power down your computer after shutdown. However, I will wait till all is in working order before posting the fix. Incidentally, have you tried refitting the RAM chips again and see if it resolves the problem or not?

 

-- Goku

[simon04]

What is the boards BIOS ?

 

Thanks,

 

I'm not sure which version this has, but it's a Biostar MCP6P M2+

 

I've tried removing one of the RAM's, and it boots OK ...... I've had it working with both RAM's fitted too, but then it failed again after being used a few times..

 

I found that by removing one RAM got it to start!:confused:

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Simon, have you tried the other stick on its own? for it is looking like a faulty RAM stick. However, if it runs OK with either one in, but fails with both, it could be that your mother board can't support more than a value of less than the both sticks together, what size are they in MB? Edited January 1, 2009 by Plastic Nev

[simon04]

Hi Simon, have you tried the other stick on its own? for it is looking like a faulty RAM stick. However, if it runs OK with either one in, but fails with both, it could be that your mother board can't support more than a value of less than the both sticks together, what size are they in MB?

 

 

They are 1GB ram sticks, bought as a bundle with the motherboard.

 

It is possible to get it working with both *sometimes*..... (until it fails).

 

I guess I'm going to have to test it with each of the RAM sticks individually over time, to see if that proves anything.... (i.e. one of them being defective)?

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Simon again, having seen the spec for your board, now I know you have in total 2GB of memory, it isn't too much for the board as it will support 4GB. So it is looking like one stick is faulty, the only way to find which one, is as you say, try each in turn for some time. Let us know how you get on. Incidentally will the machine shut down OK with only the one stick in? it may be connected, or may not.

[simon04]

Hi Simon again, having seen the spec for your board, now I know you have in total 2GB of memory, it isn't too much for the board as it will support 4GB. So it is looking like one stick is faulty, the only way to find which one, is as you say, try each in turn for some time. Let us know how you get on. Incidentally will the machine shut down OK with only the one stick in? it may be connected, or may not.

 

Even with the one stick fitted, the shutdown problem still occurs.

 

I guess only time will tell if one of the RAM's is faulty.....

[Plastic Nev]

OK, Simon, lets get the RAM issue out of the way first then, and we can return to the shut down issue later.

Best of luck and I hope it soon shows up which stick is faulty.

Also try the free test from here, do it on each stick in turn.

Memtest86.com - Memory Diagnostic

Just click the free download button to the left on that page.

Edited January 1, 2009 by Plastic Nev

[simon04]

I've run the Memtest on both RAM's and no errors were detected.

 

Since playing around with different combinations, I now suspect a faulty socket on the motherboard, or just a problem with the connections to the RAM sticks.... They were both clicked in fully, as far as I could see..

 

Nevertheless, I've got the PC booting and running OK with both RAMs (for now anyway)...... I will have to test this over the next few days.

[Plastic Nev]

OK Simon, if indeed it stays OK, you may well be right about the sockets on the board. Intermittent faults can be a nightmare. See how it goes, and if OK we will see what can be done about it not shutting down.

[Goku]

Power Down After Shutdown

 

Hello Simon. There are a few things you can try. Please use the instructions from my last post to uninstall your IDE drives. Next, download the attached archive and extract it. If you are unsure on how to open the archive, use the instructions from here and continue. After you have extracted the archive, you should obtain a file labeled Power Down After Shutdown.reg. Double-click on the file and you will be asked whether you want to import the information into the registry or not. Answer Yes to the prompt and sometime later another dialog box will pop up informing you that the operation was successful. After you have done the above, reboot your computer.

 

Note: Please backup your registry before you apply any of the above changes so that we can revert back your system to working condition if something goes awry.

 

If all is done as instructed, then your computer should automatically power down after shutdown. But if the problem persists, then it is probable that your board's BIOS doesn't support it. In that case, it is better to live with the problem than trying to solve it.

 

Hope that helps. :)

 

-- Goku

Power Down After Shutdown.zip

Edited January 2, 2009 by Goku

[BeeCeeBee]

Nevertheless, I've got the PC booting and running OK with both RAMs

See how it goes, and if OK we will see what can be done about it not shutting down.

I am a bit confused. Are we talking about 2 separate issues (memory and shut down) or does the machine shut down when the memory issue is sorted (however temporary that might be?) Edited January 2, 2009 by BeeCeeBee

[Plastic Nev]

Sorry Beeceebee, it is two separate issues, we seem to have sorted the memory problem, (which may be only temporarily). The shut down issue is, as above, now being looked at by Goku.

[simon04]

Hello Simon. There are a few things you can try. Please use the instructions from my last post to uninstall your IDE drives. Next, download the attached archive and extract it. If you are unsure on how to open the archive, use the instructions from here and continue. After you have extracted the archive, you should obtain a file labeled Power Down After Shutdown.reg. Double-click on the file and you will be asked whether you want to import the information into the registry or not. Answer Yes to the prompt and sometime later another dialog box will pop up informing you that the operation was successful. After you have done the above, reboot your computer.

 

Note: Please backup your registry before you apply any of the above changes so that we can revert back your system to working condition if something goes awry.

 

If all is done as instructed, then your computer should automatically power down after shutdown. But if the problem persists, then it is probable that your board's BIOS doesn't support it. In that case, it is better to live with the problem than trying to solve it.

 

Hope that helps. :)

 

-- Goku

 

I've downloaded and extracted the file, but I couldn't find your last post regarding uninstalling the IDE drives.....

 

Do you just mean uninstalling them with device manager??

Edited January 2, 2009 by simon04

[Goku]

No, they are a seperate issue. You just need to apply the registry fix without any modifications. Please don't follow instructions from any other thread as they could render your Operating System inoperable.

 

-- Goku

[simon04]

No, they are a seperate issue. You just need to apply the registry fix without any modifications. Please don't follow instructions from any other thread as they could render your Operating System inoperable.

 

-- Goku

 

Unfortunately, the registry patch didn't do the trick.....

 

I did find this post: "It is Now Safe to Turn Off Your Computer" error message when you try to shut down your computer

 

However, it seems not to relate to my system, despite being for XP

[Goku]

Then its in the BIOS. You will probably need to change the configuration in BIOS to support the feature. If you can find your way through it, then try and do so but if the BIOS is new to you, then please leave it alone as it is. And thanks for the article, I will add it to my growing list of Microsoft Knowledge Base bookmarks.

 

By the way, did the problem recently started occurring recently or is it intermittent?

 

-- Goku

[simon04]

Then its in the BIOS. You will probably need to change the configuration in BIOS to support the feature. If you can find your way through it, then try and do so but if the BIOS is new to you, then please leave it alone as it is. And thanks for the article, I will add it to my growing list of Microsoft Knowledge Base bookmarks.

 

By the way, did the problem recently started occurring recently or is it intermittent?

 

-- Goku

 

I am fairly familiar with BIOS, and have ensured the ACPI is enabled.

 

The problem has just occurred after a new Motherboard bundle and clean install of Win XP Home.

[Goku]

The problem has just occurred after a new Motherboard bundle

That may be the root cause of your problem. I know nothing about hardware but may be your motherboard doesn't support the feature and therefore the BIOS is unable to impose the power down.

 

-- Goku

[simon04]

I now think I've pinpointed the boot (memory) issue and returned the RAM's to the vendor, who will be exchanging them for a single 2GB RAM....

 

The shutdown problem is still there, and the only further thought I has is that the PC is listed as a "MPS Multiprocessor PC in device manager"....

 

However, given that the motherboard is ACPI compliant, I wondered if the device manager should actually display thi9s as "ACPI Multiprocessor PC" instead??