Dell Inspiron 1501 won't turn off since installing SP1

[Earle Horton]

Since I installed Vista SP1, my Dell Inspiron 1501 won't shut off. Screen
goes dark and stops responding to user input, but power indicator on hinge
stays on and unit stays warm. I have to press the power button for several
seconds to get the computer to shut off. This is the only way I can get it
to start up again too. It does not appear to be asleep, but rather stuck in
some exit routine. If I enable the onboard wireless adapter, the wireless
light stays on too.

How do I track down something like this?

Thanks,

Earle

 

[Karl Snooks]

Earle,
Start | Control Panel |
in either Hardware and Sound or in System and Maintenance or in Mobile PC,
select Power Options

Shawn has a nice explanation on using the Power Options in a Vistax64 forum
tutorial, just a second, let's see if i've got the link somewhere--

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/63567-power-options-sleep-mode-problems.html

start there. Each of his tutorials have links to other tutorial which may
be directed precisely at your problem.

Karl

 

[Earle Horton]

This is not a sleep mode problem. It is a failure to shut down from Start,
Shut Down.

Thanks anyway.

Earle

 

[kevpan815]

Re-Format Your Computer And Install Open Source Linux Ubuntu 8.04 Long Term
Support, And/Or Open Source Linux Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 2, Just FYI. I Remain
Very Proud 2 Call Myself Alias #2, Also Just FYI.

 

[Imposter Investigations]

What a stupid response. NOBODY wants to use that piece of shit Ubuntu. It
is FREE and worthless. Only idiots use Ubuntu. Hello Alias and Kevpan815.

 

[Earle Horton]

Try using the System Configuration Utility, Diagnostic/Selective
startup. Help is available in the utility.

I started the Dell up in Diagnostic mode, essential services only, and it
still failed to power down. Funny, Restart works normally. Computer passes
ROM diagnostics and XP booted from another partition shuts down without a
problem. System Restore says, "No restore points have been created on your
computer's system disk." even though I created one right before installing
SP1. I managed to create a restore point just now, but it is the only one
visible.

Earle

 

[Earle Horton]

Run the disk check, might as well defrag while your at it.

Will it shut down from safe mode?

Check the event viewer for errors.

System powers down in Safe Mode. Running disk check now. Disk check
reports nothing remarkable. Reboot Normally, no relevant errors in Event
Log, system shuts down now. Go figure. Well now I've trained myself to
look at the power indicator before putting the laptop in the carrying case.

Thanks!

Earle