Bad Way to Shut Down?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LMO
  • Start date Start date
L

LMO

Hello all. Sometimes, when I don't feel like waiting the 3-5 mins it takes
for WinXP to shut down I just turn off the power on my master switch. System
seems to boot up fine next time I turn it on. I've been doing this on
occasion for quite a few years with seemingly no problems. Just wondering if
there may be some reason why I shouldn't do this? System seems okay. Just
would like an opinion.
Thanks.
 
LMO said:
Hello all. Sometimes, when I don't feel like waiting the 3-5 mins it takes
for WinXP to shut down I just turn off the power on my master switch. System
seems to boot up fine next time I turn it on. I've been doing this on
occasion for quite a few years with seemingly no problems. Just wondering if
there may be some reason why I shouldn't do this? System seems okay. Just
would like an opinion.
Thanks.
Click to expand...


Hardware should be OK. But there's a risk of data corruption if you
shut down whilst writing to the hard drive. Just dont cancel the
automatic disk check. (I bet that happens a lot on your system)

PS: 3-5 minutes is WAAY too long.
 
LMO said:
Hello all. Sometimes, when I don't feel like waiting the 3-5 mins it takes
for WinXP to shut down I just turn off the power on my master switch. System
seems to boot up fine next time I turn it on. I've been doing this on
occasion for quite a few years with seemingly no problems. Just wondering if
there may be some reason why I shouldn't do this? System seems okay. Just
would like an opinion.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Many a Windows installation has been damaged in this way, simply
because you may be switching the machine off while it is in the
middle of a registry write. Much better to install the "User profile
hive cleanup service" to speed up the shutdown process.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en
 
I just let the system shutdown on it's own, and walk away.

BUT what about all the stuff that's still on with the "master switch" still
on. I bought myself a device called a "mini power minder" that pluggs into a
USB port, and I plug a power strip to it, and anything attached to that
power strip is shut down when the computer does. The way it works is the
device senses the voltage in the USB ports, and shuts power off to the outlet
that's built into it. I just let the system shutdown on it's own, and walk
away. See:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/6ee4/?cpg=froogle

In my case, I got the PC to automatically wake up in the AM before I do to
do backups etc.,, and automatically hibernate at night if the wife and kids
forget to turn their PC's off, so the PC hibernates itself, and turns
everything off along with it,
 
LMO said:
Hello all. Sometimes, when I don't feel like waiting the 3-5 mins it takes
for WinXP to shut down I just turn off the power on my master switch. System
seems to boot up fine next time I turn it on. I've been doing this on
occasion for quite a few years with seemingly no problems. Just wondering if
there may be some reason why I shouldn't do this? System seems okay. Just
would like an opinion.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

You are living dangerously. Sooner or later you are going to kill the
power when the machine is in the midst of updating something on the
hard drive and you will have a serious problem on your hands.

If your computer takes 3 to 5 minutes to shut itself down then see MVP
Jim Eshelman's Shutdown Troubleshooter for Windows XP at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm for some suggestions on how to
speed this up.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Older drives used to have a 'safe' parking spot also. Shutting
down properly would position the heads properly so moving the
computer for example wouldn't screw things up. Don't know if
this applies anymore. Care to comment?

Doug W.
 
Todays "voice coil" head actuators auto-retract or "selfpark", the old
drives were servo driven and had to be explicitly "parked" in the
landing zone.(which was specified in drive geometry)
 
Hi LMO,

As Mr. Marell said, you are indeed living dangerously. Shutting down
Windows via the power switch is no different than suffering a power outage
while the computer is on. That *did* happen to me, and nothing short of a
new install could cure it. While it didn't trash the HD, it certainly
trashed Windows. Also has Ron mentioned, shutdown shouldn't take nearly
that long--use the link he provided, and see if things get a lot better.

--
Curt BD-MVBT

http://dundats.mvps.org/
http://dundats.proboards27.com/index.cgi
http://www.aumha.org/
 
On Tue, 4 Jul 2006 00:29:20 -0500, "Curt Christianson"
As Mr. Marell said, you are indeed living dangerously. Shutting down
Windows via the power switch is no different than suffering a power outage
while the computer is on.
Click to expand...

Depends on the power switch. The ATX "power off" button on the front
of the case generates a request to switch down to an inactive state,
and recent XP at least will "catch" that request and initiate a proper
shutdown. Only if you hold the "ATX off" button down for enough
seconds for the motherboard's own logic to kick in, or you switch off
the mains supply to the PC, will you have the usual bad mileage.


---------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
Click to expand...
On the 'net, *everyone* can hear you scream
 
Good link - I've been watching my roaming profiles grow, and take more time
to save/open.

Thanks
 
LMO said:
Hello all. Sometimes, when I don't feel like waiting the 3-5 mins it takes
for WinXP to shut down I just turn off the power on my master switch. System
seems to boot up fine next time I turn it on. I've been doing this on
occasion for quite a few years with seemingly no problems. Just wondering if
there may be some reason why I shouldn't do this? System seems okay. Just
would like an opinion.
Click to expand...

What's happening is that your pc is waiting for a driver or app to close
and you nix that. IN your case yes, it doesn't seem to cause any
"damage".
 
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