Windows 7 Slow Shutdown: Performing A Clean Boot

I realized that my shutdown process has slowed down considerably. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes to completely shutdown my system.

I found a way on how to resolve the issue by performing a clean boot. Try it yourself and comment if these steps I found on the web works for you.

Performing a Clean Boot:

• Click Start Orb > type msconfig in the searchbox
• Click msconfig in the search results
• Click the General tab, and click Selective Startup
• Under Selective Startup uncheck Load Startup items
• Click the Services tab, check the Hide all Microsoft Services box, and then click Disable All
• Click OK, and when you are prompted, click Restart.

If the problem does not return while your computer is in clean boot mode, a background program is likely causing interference. You can try to determine which background program is causing the problem while the computer is in clean boot mode.

To try to determine which background program is causing the problem, start by turning off all drivers, third-party programs or services, and startup items that load with Windows. Then, if the problem is resolved, turn back on half of these services to try to isolate the interfering service. If the problem is not resolved at this point, you will repeat this process until you have isolated the interfering service. Finally, if you are able to determine which specific program or service is causing the problem, contact the program manufacturer to determine whether there is a solution. You can also disable the program or service to resolve the problem.

Enable half of the Services items:

In this step, you are trying to isolate which background service is causing the interference with the program. Start by turning half of the services on and turning half off.

• Click Start Orb > type msconfig in the searchbox
• Click msconfig in the search results
• Click the Services tab, check the Hide all Microsoft Services box, and then click to select half of the check boxes in the Services list, leaving the other half unchecked.
• Click OK, and when you are prompted, click Restart.

Determine whether the problem is resolved:

If the program works after you restart your computer, then you know that the interfering service is not among those services that were turned on. Therefore, it must be among those services that were turned off.

If the program does not work after you restart the computer, then you know the interfering service may be among the services that were turned on.

Now that you have eliminated some services as the cause of the problem, you can use a process of elimination to try to determine which service might be causing the problem. You can keep selectively turning services off or on until you isolate a service that might be causing the interference. To do this, follow these steps:

Start the program and check whether the problem is resolved.

If the problem returns, follow these steps:

• Start the System Configuration Utility. (msconfig)

• Click the Services tab, and then click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box.
• Click to clear half of the check boxes that you originally selected in the Services list.

• Click OK, and when you are prompted, click Restart.

Start the program and check whether the problem is resolved. If the problem returns, one of the services that is turned on may be causing the interference. Continue to repeat steps, turning off services to try to isolate a service that is causing the interference. If you cannot isolate any one service as the cause of the problem, then these services are likely not causing the interference. If the problem does not return, then one of the services cleared is causing the interference. To isolate that service, follow these steps:

• Start the System Configuration Utility. (msconfig)

• Click the Services tab, and then click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box.

• Click to select half of the check boxes that you originally cleared in the Services list.

• Click OK, and when you are prompted, click Restart.

Start the program and check whether the problem is resolved. If the problem returns, one of the services that you selected in step c is an interfering service. Continue to repeat steps, turning off services until you to isolate the service that is causing interference. If you find that the services in the Services list are not causing this problem, go to "Enable half of the Startup items" to try to determine whether a Startup item is causing the interference. If you were able to isolate a service as causing the interference with program, go to "Resolve the problem"

Enable half of the Startup items:

In this step, you are trying to isolate which Startup item might be causing the interference with the program.

Therefore, start by turning half of the Startup items on and turning half of the items off.

• Start the System Configuration Utility. (msconfig)
• Click the Startup tab, and then click to select half of the check boxes in the Startup list.
• Click OK, and when you are prompted, click Restart.

Determine whether the problem is resolved:

If the program works after you restart your computer, then you know that the interfering service is not among those Startup items that were turned on. Therefore, it must be among those Startup items that were turned off.

Otherwise, if the program does not work after you restart the computer, then you know that the interfering service is among the Startup items that were turned on.

Now that you have eliminated some Startup items as the cause of the problem, you can use a process of elimination to try to determine which Startup item might be causing the problem. You can keep selectively turning Startup items off or on until you isolate a service that might be causing the interference.

Start the program and check whether the problem is resolved.

If the problem returns, follow these steps:

• Start the System Configuration Utility. (msconfig)
• Click the Startup tab.
• Click to clear half of the check boxes that you originally selected in the Startup list.
• Click OK, and when you are prompted, click Restart.

Start the program and check whether the problem is resolved. If the problem returns, one of the Startup items that are turned on may be causing the interference. Continue to repeat these steps to isolate. If the problem does not return, then one of the Startup items cleared previous is an interfering service. To isolate that service, follow these steps:

• Start the System Configuration Utility. (msconfig)
• Click the Startup tab.
• Click to clear half of the check boxes that you originally selected in the Startup list.
• Click OK, and when you are prompted, click Restart.

Start the program and check whether the problem is resolved. If the problem returns, one of the Startup items that is turned on may be causing interference. Continue to repeat steps a through d, turning off Startup items to try to isolate a service that is causing interference. If you cannot isolate any one Startup item as the cause of the problem, then these services are likely not causing the interference. If the problem does not return, then one of the Startup items cleared in step 2 is an interfering service.

Resolve the problem

If you determined which specific background program or service is causing the problem, contact the program manufacturer to determine whether the issue can be resolved. Or, you can disable the interfering service in the System Configuration Utility. To disable the service, follow these steps.

• Start the System Configuration Utility. (msconfig)
• Disable the service.
• Click OK, and Restart