[Essexboy]

OK can you do these steps ?


Step 1: Start the System Configuration Utility

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
2.The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed.

Step 2: Configure selective startup options

1.In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click the General tab, and then click Selective Startup.
2.Click to clear the Process SYSTEM.INI File check box.
3.Click to clear the Process WIN.INI File check box.
4.Click to clear the Load Startup Items check box. Verify that Load System Services and Use Original BOOT.INI are checked.
5.Click the Services tab.
6.Click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box.
7.Click Disable All, and then click OK.
8.When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.

Step 3: Log on to Windows

1.If you are prompted, log on to Windows.
2.When you receive the following message, click to select the Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows start check box, and then click OK.

Notes?

You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts.
?The System Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts.
?Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the System Configuration Utility.

Now reboot and then shutdown a few times to see if that cures the problem

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Apparently, I AM admin on this computer! So why was I denied permission to make changes in the config utility?

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

Apparently, I AM admin on this computer! So why was I denied permission to make changes in the config utility?

[Essexboy]

OK lets run a repair programme to set it all back to normal

Download Windows Repair (all in one) from this site

Install the programme then run



Go to step 3 and allow it to run SFC



On the start repairs tab click start


Select the following items and tick restart system when finished

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

Will this destroy my appearance settings? I have XP looking like Win 98 because I have trouble seeing the screen with the factory settings. Things look too cluttered that way.

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

OK, my settings are safe. I'm going ahead now.

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

Checking and unchecking items on the Start Repair tab doesn't work for the last item because things don't display properly. Only the top half of the check boxes appear... and the last one has no check box at all. I managed to do all of them correctly except the last one, (Set Windows Services To Default Startup). I can't tell if it's checked or not.

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

Figured it out. Program is running.

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

Message came up..... Program failed to initiate properly. Click on OK to terminate program. I did. It's still running. Donno what that was.

[Essexboy]

That was probably one element not on your system. The tool will work for all variants of windows but it will skip those that are not applicable. The screenshot was from windows 8

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

At the end,

PcWinTech Custom Tabs
Run-time error '398': Client Site not available OK. No matter how many time I click on OK, the message won't disappear. Small window with no message came up after I clicked 100000000 times. I was warned about an application called Desktop Zoom. It had no signature.

After clicking a few more times, the window disappeared. I'll restart now.

A lot of things are missing now on the screen. The start button has no text. The shut-down window only has the little check boxes but no window. Computer is not shutting down. I'm gonna push power button.

Restarting...

Upon restart, a message told me to choose Normal Startup in the config utility. I did.

Restarting again.

Trying to shut down. Not responding yet. Same behavior as before. Tumbling hourglass. The window came up after a long time. Computer is apparently shutting down. It restarted but it all took a long time.

[Essexboy]

OK lets go for the clean boot to see if we can determine where the problem lies

Step 1: Start the System Configuration Utility

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
2.The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed.

Step 2: Configure selective startup options

1.In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click the General tab, and then click Selective Startup.
2.Click to clear the Process SYSTEM.INI File check box.
3.Click to clear the Process WIN.INI File check box.
4.Click to clear the Load Startup Items check box. Verify that Load System Services and Use Original BOOT.INI are checked.
5.Click the Services tab.
6.Click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box.
7.Click Disable All, and then click OK.
8.When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.

Step 3: Log on to Windows

1.If you are prompted, log on to Windows.
2.When you receive the following message, click to select the Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows start check box, and then click OK.

Notes?

You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts.
?The System Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts.
?Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the System Configuration Utility.

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

OK, it's a new day, and the only problem remaining is the shut-down problem. The only sure way to turn the computer off is to hold down the power button. Is there anything else you can think of to find out why the computer won't shut down properly?

[Essexboy]

If you run the clean boot that may enable us to narrow down the problem or we can use a little tweaking programme to close any programme taking to long to shut down

Download Simple Tweaks from here

Use one of these download buttons


Install the programme

Select the general tab and tick the same elements that are in this screen shot
This will hopefully end the shut down problem and stabilise XP

Once the ticks are in place then press the Apply Tweaks button
Reboot the computer on completion

Then try a couple of reboots to see if the problem is solved

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

Before anything, maybe these symptoms will help you. At first, today, I couldn't access some things online. Hotmail inbox, videos on You Tube... The screen said, "The connection was reset." My network is fine. I got to Google and You Tube, but when I tried to go further in, "connection reset!" Also, Avast was off! I rebooted and everything works now. Do you think all the surgery we've been doing on this machine may've thrown it out of kilter a bit? Chrome browser won't open either, even after reboot. I suppose I could reinstall it again later.

OK, now the browser is saying there are plugins that are volnurable and need to be updated. I'm doing that now.

[Goggleplex-Googleplex]

I'm sorry for all these snags.

When I downloaded the tweak program, SpyBot Search 'n' Destroy said the it was on the list as a fraud. I chose the first direct download button. All the other buttons didn't seem to do anything.