The Computer that refuses to shutdown.

[Cockatiel]

Hello!

I'm new here, and I hope that this is the correct place to make my post. I've recently gotten a new computer and I have a problem with it not shutting down. Originally, upon shutdown, the computer would restart immediately. I ended up finding out that there were a few processes that didn't want to quit (iTunes Helper and Bonjour - screw you, Apple!) and once I was rid of them, I thought I'd gotten rid of my problem.

But, alas!

Within a few hours, my computer will boot anyway, and I honestly have no idea why or how.

By a few hours, I mean to say that it was shut down at 09:00 and then I watched it reboot at 14:20. I happened to be awake at the time (work night shift, so I sleep during the day). Every single time I've come home to the computer on, but the 14:20 start-up is the only time verification that I can provide. Unfortunately, all other times, I am either at work or asleep.

I have tried to tweak the power settings. I have gone into the BIOS and disabled the LAN wake-up via 5s or whatever it's called. That's really all that I've done. Is there anything else that I'm able to do?

Thank you in advance for your patience and answers.

 

[richc46]

Welcome
I think that if you try and test with a clean boot your problem will be solved
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

 

[Cockatiel]

Welcome
I think that if you try and test with a clean boot your problem will be solved
How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

Thank you for your quick reply. I'll post as soon as I've done this, which may be in a few hours, as I've got to sleep before work.

Again, I'll post with information once I've got it.

Thanks!

 

[richc46]

Take your time, I will see your response. If the problem continues post and either I or another will be glad to help.

 

[Cockatiel]

Rich,

I've done what the article suggested (thought I'd do it before I went to bed, after all, as the computer takes several hours to boot again, anyway) and I found something interesting. I uninstalled Bonjour and Apple Mobile (don't want either of that junk) via the control panel, yet I have found that their services are still running!

Evil Apple!

I've disabled the services completely - I stopped them in the My Computer > Manage > Service/App > Services > found Bonjour / Apple > disable from start-up / Stop service from running.

I'll post again once I wake up and will hopefully bring good news.

However, if this does end up being from the Apple products that are causing this, should I bring it to their attention?

Goodnight!

 

[richc46]

Go to msconfig. Untick them, that wills stop them from starting during boot.
Just type msconfig in search.

 

[Cockatiel]

Well, I have totally disabled both the Apple Mobile and the Bonjour - it no longer starts up - but not my computer reboots as soon as it is shutdown, instead of doing it within a few hours. How frustrating!

 

[richc46]

Go to search and type event viewer may give us an idea of the problem.
Try in clean, boot, too. see if it still happens.

 

[Cockatiel]

Clean boot let the computer boot up and then shut down normally. During my trying to see what was causing the problem, I noticed that iTunes had an update, suddenly (unusual for them to do it so soon). I updated iTunes, as the processes that I believed were the problem are related to iTunes. Bonjour, etc, were back in my processes, and as an experiment, I shutdown the computer without first stopping any of the 'problem' processes. The computer shutdown normally.

I happened to read in the update log that they fixed stability issues, though they would not specify what the exact problem was. Assuming that my computer no longer misbehaves, I do believe that I have solved the problem (or rather, Apple updating and fixing their crap did).

Thank you for your help, Rich. I will be back if it does misbehave, however!

 

[richc46]

Glad that we were able to figure out the problem.

 

[Cockatiel]

Unfortunately, I do not believe that my problem has gone away. I don't have the insta-reboot, but my computer still boots after a few hours. I'll try to shut it down after clean booting it and see if that solves the problem.

I did check the bios to make sure there wasn't a setting that seemed to be indicating that the computer should be booting at a certain time, etc. After I've shutdown the computer for the night, from a clean boot, and I come home from work, I'll be able to let you know if it booted on its' own or not. I'm worried it might be a hardware driver conflict.

Sorry for the bother! Thank you, again.

 

[richc46]

This is what you do
Go with clean boot, if the computer does work properly for an extened period of time, put the programs back a few at at time and use the computer until you are sure its ok. The put back a few more. This way we can find the culprit.

 

[Cockatiel]

I want to make sure you aren't misunderstanding me; I have no problem actually using the computer. It doesn't automatically shut down or just reboot without my doing something. When I say that the computer boots after a few hours, I mean to say that the computer has been turned off by me and then it turns itself on using... magic. I just now realized that it sort of sounds like the computer was spontaneously rebooting while I was in the middle of using it. I apologize.

 

[richc46]

Yes, I did misunderstand.
Make a full anti virus scan
Downolad and make a full scan with malwarebytes, make sure to upadate first
If negative make sure you are not set wake automatically. I known that you are talking about shutdown, but check those setting anyway.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/122012-lastwake-command.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/122019-devices-see-devices-able-wake-up-computer.html
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/63567-power-options-sleep-mode-problems.html

If these suggestions, for sleep, do not solve the problem. Unattach from the internet (not just turn off) and see if it still happens. If it does not, worst case scenario, someone has hacked your machine.

 

[Cockatiel]

I apologize for the delay in my replies; I had an unexpected visit to the ER. I've looked through the links you've given me and tweaked with my 'sleep' settings. The setting that regulated whether or not processes could 'wake' the computer was on and I turned it off, among a few other things. I'll be able to tell you in a day or two if my computer will actually stay off, this time.