Debugging Windows 7 shutdown failure

kwikbreaks

I run Windows 7 Home 64bit on an Acer Aspire X3990 SFF desktop. This machine normally runs 24x7. I install the monthly Windows updates which usually require a restart. The last two or three times I've restarted the machine it has ended up hanging with the screen saying "Windows Shutting Down" and I have to pull the plug. It will then restart without usually coming up with any messages about an abnormal shutdown although if I'm especially impatient I will get one of those.

I've just tried a simple shutdown after closing down everything I know to be running (often quite a lot of things) and again it hung.

Are there any logs that can be checked to give a clue what it was waiting on? Is there anything that can be done when it's sitting on the shutting down screen?

colin79666

Yes, have a look in the event viewer. The application and system logs are probably your best bets. You can filter out the "information" messages so you can concentrate on warnings and errors. If you note the time a failed shutdown happened you should be able to find the corresponding log entries.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/open-event-viewer#1TC=windows-7

debitcardmayhem

Do you use Acronis True Image ? I believe there issues with that

Hazzanet

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Do you use Acronis True Image ? I believe there issues with that

I tend to get "Operations in progress" if I shut down when True Image is doing something. Never had it freeze without indicating it's that.

kwikbreaks

Thanks for the replies.

do use TrueImage but don't have scheduled backups. There is a TrueImage process that runs constantly but I don't think it's the likely culprit as I've used it for years and it's only recently this has started happening. I wish I had taken action earlier then I could have just tried a system restore but I'm loathe to do that now as I'm not sure what stuff I've set up that would be lost. I thought it was going to be a one-off the first time then the second time it happened it was probably already too long for the simple solution.

I'll take a look in those logs and hope something shows up I can search on for a fix.

kwikbreaks

Well I doubt the reason will help anyone but I'll document it anyway.

I found nothing of use to me in the error logs. What I did find was that a PCIE USB3 controller card I'd installed some time ago had stopped working. I couldn't get it going again by playing around with the drivers so I bought a new card. After installing that I find that the shutdown hang doesn't happen any more. I do have a legacy in Device Manager of 3 entries under Portable Devices labelled as WPD FileSystem Volume Driver showing exclamation marks which I've had no luck clearing but which don't seem to be causing any trouble. Strangely enough one of them has appeared after relpacing the USB3 card so they are possibly unrelated and just another anoyance thrown my way by Windows.