Computer doesn't shut down

OK, my computer used to shut down properly. It'd go through the shutdown routine, then I'd hear the little 'click' and it'd shut off.

After updating the BIOS and installing XP, it goes through the shutdown procedure, then I hear the little 'click', but it never shuts down. It just sits there and I have to use the master switch to shut it down.

At first, I wanted to blame this on XP, but then I got to thinking about my BIOS update, which has caused some other oddities (PS/2 ports no longer work, longer bootup time), and now I think this may be responsible. Are there any settings in the BIOS I might need to check that could be preventing the machine from shutting down?

And yes this is an ATX machine.

 

Hi.

This is a common problem with XP installations. Microsoft has it set wrong. They corrected it later.

Go to "Control Panel" then "System ". Under the "Hardware" tab click on "Device Manager ".

Click on the "View" menu at the top and then "Show hidden devices ". Right click on the diasbled item and click on "enable ". That should do it.

Giles

 

Um, exactly which disabled item?

 

Oh heck. I knew you were going to ask that. I forgot but I think it is the ACPI. On an XP installation they forgot to turn it on. It doesn't show unless you turn on the hidden devices. It comes up disabled and you have to enable it. If you search around the web you'll find about a zillion places that specify this.

Also, here's another way.

http://www.micromagic.org/xptip14.html

Giles

 

OK I saw the ACPI entry and it looks like it's enabled already. There are no red or yellow marks over it and Device Manager says it's working properly.

I checked out the link, but APM isn't even mentioned in my Control Panel Power applet. I read somewhere that it's necessary to disable APM in order for the APC UPS to work properly. Also isn't APM a competing power managment scheme that conflicts with ACPI?

 

Yes, I had the same problem in Control Panel which is why I pointed to the system in control panel. I had to do the view hidden devices and enable to get mine to working. (I had the same exact problem.) Maybe if you disabled APC you might get it working and then go back to enable APC.

Interesting enough I can't find the same ACPI thing in my System list under control panel. Strange. I wonder if SP1 changed it. Anyways that's how I corrected mine and found out about the problem with XP.

Good luck.

Giles