Problem with computer

[C-Force]

Originally Posted by Sydney007

When you turn off your computer, before it completes shutdown, stop the electrical
power to it.

Are you kidding me! That's a recipe for disaster.

[Sydney007]

Originally Posted by C-Force

Are you kidding me! That's a recipe for disaster.

As long as the computer has partially shut down before cutting power to it-
or when the screen turns black- it will not hurt the drive.

I bet it works...

[Dabug]

Originally Posted by Sydney007

When you turn off your computer, before it completes shutdown, stop the electrical
power to it. Do this a few times and run your disk clean-up software which will
uninstall files not used. (maybe even the one causing problems)

It is probably more effective to run disk clean-up software from a bootable floppy/CD-ROM than from the corrupted drive (if the drive is corrupted).

Originally Posted by Sydney007

As long as the computer has partially shut down before cutting power to it-
or when the screen turns black- it will not hurt the drive.

How do you know when `the computer has partially shut down'?

You're probably right about this `not hurting the drive.' Most modern hard drives will automatically park their read/write heads if they suddenly lose power. Still, I wouldn't recommend abruptly cutting off power to the computer.


Nevertheless, I think you (Sydney007) may be on to something. In my experience, shutting down my computer and disconnecting all electrical power (by pulling out the plug) for ~1 hour, has cleared up some hardware problems. I think some electrical signals can get `stuck,' and disconnecting all power lets the computer slowly discharge, dissipating those signals. Of course, I still don't know if 007Gypsy's problem is hardware or software.

[Alex_Ivanov]

Originally Posted by Dabug

You're probably right about this `not hurting the drive.' Most modern hard drives will automatically park their read/write heads if they suddenly lose power. Still, I wouldn't recommend abruptly cutting off power to the computer.

It's the question to the file system first of all. While hard drive doesn't get any physical damage, some data still has a chance to be 'logically' damaged. NTFS isn't really the best file system ever. I like XFS for linux, after I carried out the following experiment: a computer with a script, constantly copying big files from one folder to another, was placed in the corridor, with a sign "please, take power cord out of socket and then plug it back again." After a weak of such "functioning" nothing was lost!.

[_DigitaLVampirE_]

You might also want to check your BIOS settings.
Try this site for shutdown issues.
www.theeldergeek.com/shutdown_issues_in_xp.htm

[Voyager13b]

Originally Posted by C-Force

I've never had to reinstall windows, and I've recovered from some bad crashes, where most people would have given up.

I don't understand why people reinstall windows as soon as there is a problem, that should be the last resort.

Why would anyone ever want to reinstall Windows? If Windows dies, just bury it, and upgrade to Linux...


Just kidding. Maybe....

Voyager

[Voyager13b]

Seriously, there are many Win apps that violate the standard Win rules (viruses, trojans, and poorly written popular apps). I have come across many situations where an unruly app refused to pass system control to the shutdown script, and the system just seemed to hang forever.

If that is the case, killing or removing the offending app will cure the problem until you run the app again. Also, I have seen more than a few cases where the Win memory manager simply eats itself, and dies. That was pretty much the signature suicide of Win ME, and has been mostly fixed since then, but it still rears it's ugly head from time to time with more modern Win OS's.

If that is the case, even the keyboard will freeze (num and caps lock buttons will not change state), and there is little to do but pull the plug on the PC. I know that pulling the plug is taboo, but hey, if you run a Windows OS for a long enough time, you WILL know where the power button is located on your PC.


Voyager