W7 - users logging off takes forever

[Blues&twos]

Hello. I'm running W7 64 bit home premium with SP1. All has been ok until last week. For no apparent reason, when selecting the Log Off option the usual spinning circle and Logging off... screen appears, but the actual log off either takes 5mins plus and is eventually successful, or the screen just stays up and after 20+mins I switch off at the button. The Event Viewer doesn't show any errors for those times. Sometimes the Pc will totally freeze for a couple of minutes usually while we're using internet explorer 9. Then we have the problem. I have used Windows system restore to a date before the problem was evident, but the problem still happens. There have been some automatic Windows updates since the system restore. Has anyone any ideas for a solution or just why this is happening? Thanks.

[A A Gruntpuddock]

Have you treed ctrl+alt+del to bring up the Task Manager?

This will show you which processes are still running and you can stop them manually.

[Blues&twos]

Hi A A Gruntpuddock, CTRL+ALT DEL doesn't work at all when the system freezes, nor when the Logging Off screen is "stuck".

I work with computers (as a controls engineer, so by necessity rather than being an IT genius) and all the usual stuff to try to diagnose the fault either isn't accessible while the problem is happening or shows nothing helpful afterwards.

Forgot to mention I'm running Kaspersky Internet 2011 as my all round antivirus etc program, with which I've had no problems since it was installed earlier on this year.

I've also done the following (out of desparation rather than anything else):

1) Carefully cleaned out the inside of the PC in case the issue was related to overheating. There was a little bit of fluff, but nothing to write home about. The fans are all working OK, and the heatsinks were all fluff free. I've seen much worse!
2) Uninstalled IE9 (I'm now using IE8). Prior to uninstalling IE9 a Windows error message had appeared saying that IE9 had stopped working (just before one of the crashes). An "update" was automatically downloaded for IE9 after Windows had "searched for a solution". So I'll see what happens when I log off now I'm back to IE8.

Fingers crossed.

EDIT: during the uninstall of IE9 the PC needed to restart. The dreaded logging off screen appeared, so I just left it...and left it...and left it. The log off successfully happened after 25mins, then the PC restarted OK. So it looks like the log offs would have actually happened eventually if I had left it long enough....so the problem seems to be exceptionally long log off times, rather than the log off not happening at all and requiring a power cycle.

[Avtrician]

W7 seems to take forever to close all the running processes that it insists on installing and starting. Every prog that is installed also seems to auto start some quick start processes to help run/start the prog faster, even if its only used once in a blue moon

[Akrotiri71]

This (http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/msconfig_win7.html) link may help with start up and log-off timing issues.

[Blues&twos]

Thanks all. Have already checked start up apps and services, but I'll give it another shot. Uninstalling IE9 hasn't stopped the slow log off, but the time taken has reduced to about 5 mins. Interestingly, noticed that the screen briefly flickers before any freezes occur. After a few minutes IE everything starts working again, so it looks like an app is crashing in the background which later on causes difficulties logging off. Two more Windows updates last night, maybe they will help? I am somewhat doubtful, but here's hoping.

[green granite]

Blues&twos have a look at:

A User May Experience a Slow Logoff Process Because of an Open Registry Handle in the Classes Hive (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319909)

And

There is a delay when you shut down, restart, or log off a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975777)

[Blues&twos]

Hi GG,
Unfortunately, the problems mentioned in those articles don't look familiar, the second one talks about a six second delay..heaven. I'm. Getting a 25 min delay between clicking log off and the machine actually logging me off. I've looked at all the usual stuff and still have no clue whatsoever what's causing it. I think I might have to resort to paying someone to fix it. Very frustrating.

[Spurlash2]

One last try...

Several options available. Shut Down Computer Shortcut - Create (http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61294-shut-down-computer-shortcut-create.html)

or the hands on Registry way;

For XP; Go to Start then type Regedit in Run option. Here locate the location to:
HKEY_Current_UserControl PanelDesktop

Here in right side panel, double click on AutoEndTasks and here its default value is 0. Now change it to 1.

Now in same side panel double click on value name WaitToKillAppTimeout. Its default value data is 20000; now change this value of WaitToKillAppTimeout to 10000.


The key WaitToKillAppTimeout is replaced by WaitToKillServiceTimeout in Vista and the location has also changed.

In Vista navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
In right pane, look for WaitToKillServiceTimeout and double click on it. Change the value to around 10000. Click on OK.

Now close the registry editor.

You should make a backup of your Registry before committing to making a change and save it somewhere safe. File/Export etc...

PS. Manual Registry change for XP/Vista included for others, and because my Win 7 kit is not in the same location as me. I imagine (ie, don't know) but the Vista change may be similar to 7.

[Blues&twos]

Hi Spurlash, thanks, I will give it a try...the non-registry tampering version as I'm not familiar with registry stuff and am aware that the potential for creating problems in this area can be high...

Is your suggestion effectively the same as using 'shutdown /s -t x' in a command prompt window?

(x= a number, I usually put 1 in here).

[Spurlash2]

B&T,

Yes, sort of. The 10000 figure in the registry is in milliseconds, so a 10 second shutdown. A /f will force running apps to close which the registry AutoEndTasks takes care of. Your 1 second seems a bit harsh!!! Network admin perchance? :)

[Blues&twos]

Ha ha ha! Just an impatient controls systems engineer! Love the expression 'a bit harsh'!

[Blues&twos]

Right, as an experiment before doing the shutdown shortcut I tried using 'shutdown /s /t 5' from a command prompt window.Here's what happened, if anyone's still interested!
1) Got Windows message 'Windows will shut down in less than 1 minute', then everthing froze for about 60 sec.
2) Then the desktop disappeared and the screen went black for about 3 mins.
3) Then the desktop reappeared for few seconds, followed by the normal Windows 'Logging off' screen with the spinning circle.
4) Logging off only took a few seconds, followed by a normal shutdown a few seconds later.

This just gets more random by the day! Hopefully by the end of the week it'll run out of bizarre stuff to do and will give in and start working properly again.

[Blues&twos]

Had BSOD last night while attempting to log off - POWER_STATE_DRIVER_FAILURE

Which I understand to mean there's a driver issue somewhere. I've copied the Windows minidump file and will try to get someone in our IT dept at work to interpret it for me.

[Spurlash2]

B&T

Do you use Hibernate or sleep on your computer?

There is a thread HERE (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-hardware/bsod-driver-power-state-failure/7705222b-3ab4-4fae-87c2-566ba9a5e3ce)that gives some big picture info.

And HERE (http://geeknizer.com/understanding-and-decoding-bsod-blue-screen-of-death-messages/).

[Blues&twos]

Thanks again to everyone for suggestions. A good couple of links there Spurlash2, I can get my teeth into those. Bizarrely the PC logged off and shut down normally last night after recovery from the BSOD. I have disabled sleep and hibernate modes today. I'll see what happens tonight. Will do more involved stuff at the weekend when I've got more time. I need to download a debugging tool to read my minidump files

[Blues&twos]

Thanks to all who helped me out with this problem. It seems to be sorted out now.

I downloaded the debugging tools to read the minidump files, but they didn't give any specific information.

What gave me a clue eventually was a single BSOD which indicated Power-Driver-State-Failure, so I started looking at possible corrupted drivers.

I didn't have any log-off issues when using Safe Mode, so "other people's" drivers seemed like a likely culprit.

After downloading and installing the latest ATI Radeon graphics card driver, the log-offs immediately returned to normal (i.e. a few seconds to log off, and a few seconds to shut down). I haven't had any log-off problems since! Fingers crossed they don't come back....

Oh the relief. :ok: