Windows 7: Windows 7 Slow in Log Off

I'm using Windows 7 Professional on a business network and it is VERY SLOW in logging off. Once I hit log off or shut down, it takes about 2 - 3 minutes to close.

Any ideas what might be causing this or how to fix?

Maybe you have a lot of applications open that the system has to first terminate. Try closing all applications before you Log Off. One minute is pretty common, but 3 minutes is long indeed.

no, this is a FRESH install of Windows 7 with nothing open or even installed (other than MS Office)

How does it perform if you are disconnected from the network?

In today's world, not being connected is not an option. So it's not really essential to know if it's slow when it's not connected. It was slow the very first time I reboot the computer. I see this issue popping up across the web, but I have yet to see a good solution.

No argument. I was only proposing this test to get us closer to the possible cause of the problem. Maybe it makes no difference, but if it does, we could research in one direction. Right now, we are completely clueless.