Windows XP Slow Shutdown is a problem since, well, XP has been first used by computer users. While many have accepted this as an inevitable fact when computer is aging, other find it surprising how their computer has slowed down since they started using it. To understand this, you have know what happens to your computer during shutdown:
As your computer shuts down, it ends all the processes that you used from the very minute you boot your computer—most of these processes are not necessarily the ones you manually opened but are required to run your Windows XP. Every process that is running waits in line while to be turned off; so it is normal that the more processes you use, the longer you have to wait before your computer finally shuts off. It is easy to say, therefore that if you use more programs during operation, you will find it much longer for your computer to turn off. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to wait for 5 minutes before you can completely walk away from your computer knowing that it is already shut off. Having to wait longer than normal is usually caused by some underlying problems.
A computer that takes forever to shut down may be caused by third-party driver or software, poor maintenance, or registry problems.
Correcting The Problem
Microsoft may not be directly saying it, but third-party drivers or softwares are to blame to the concurrent slow down of your pc especially during shut down. While installed programs may cause your computer to slow down, Microsoft should have improved their operating system to cope with this problem. Nonetheless, the only thing we can do is to ensure that the programs we remove are uninstalled properly. {Delete unsued, unwanted, or unimportant programs in Add/Remove Programs found in your Control Panel}.
Just like your car, your computer operating system needs to be checked regularly through anti-virus/anti-spyware programs and built-in maintenance programs such as disk defragmentation and disk cleaning. Regularly subjecting your computer in these programs will free up some disk space and remove unwanted viruses and spyware that will speed up XP shutdown time.
Windows registry is the cause of the problem in almost all cases of slow shut down. {Windows registry is the location where Windows stores every important and critical keys and data, which can impact the overall speed of your pc}.
Speed up Windows XP slow shutdown tip: 1 way to speed up shutdown time is to go to Windows Registry by typing “regedit” in Run option; and follow this folder, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management. {Set ClearPageFileAtShutdown to 0}. {Now, you can change the setting of your Windows Registry, but be sure that you know what you are doing or else, you may create unrepairable damage to your pc}. So if you are unsure on how to do it, leave untouched and get a registry cleaner to be sure.