"Turn off computer" (i.e., shut down) won't work from Start menu

[Guest]

In XP-Home, when I click "Turn off" on the Start menu, my desktop icons do a little "flash" (as if the computer is about to shut down), but then nothing happens. It doesn't hang or anything -- the computer works as if I never clicked "turn off." (Same non-response if I choose Log Off.) So I use the only alternative I know: ctrl-alt-del, and then I choose Turn Off from the Shut Down menu in the Task Manager

Shutting down from the Start menu used to work without a hitch, but over the last month or so, it hasn't. Any suggestions

Many thanks

-Jos

 

[Rocket J. Squirrel]

Open Help and Support, type the word shutdown in the search box, and click
on the green arrow. From the results, choose the Startup and shutdown
troubleshooter.

Rocky

In XP-Home, when I click "Turn off" on the Start menu, my desktop icons do

a little "flash" (as if the computer is about to shut down), but then
nothing happens. It doesn't hang or anything -- the computer works as if I
never clicked "turn off." (Same non-response if I choose Log Off.) So I use
the only alternative I know: ctrl-alt-del, and then I choose Turn Off from
the Shut Down menu in the Task Manager.

Shutting down from the Start menu used to work without a hitch, but over

the last month or so, it hasn't. Any suggestions?