Shutdown Problem

Normally when I shut down my computer I'll get a black screen with a little white underscore blinking in the far top-left hand corner. After this I'll get a message "It is now safe to turn off your computer" and then the computer turns itself off.

The problem is that every single time I've shut down recently, the underscore has moved from the top-left hand corner to somewhere in the middle around the bottom-right hand side of the screen. The screen stays that way, with the underscore still blinking, and fails to shut down at all unless I hold down the power button. I'm using Windows ME, and I realise how crap it is but I'm pretty much stuck with it. The computer's been fine before this.

Anyone have any idea how to resolve this?

Lose ME, get 2K

As much as I'd love to...

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I'm using Windows ME, and I realise how crap it is but I'm pretty much stuck with it.

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Not to mention I don't have a CD Burner or a very good computer in the first place, or any real knowledge to install such a thing should I be able to.

It might be connected to Zone Alarm. When I shut down Zone Alarm I get a "vsmon" error, and if I shut down Zone Alarm then shut-down the computer I don't even get the underscore treatment.

Uninstall Zonealarm. It's a pretty foul piece of software once it breaks down - unfortunately very few people realise it until it happens to them. I'm not sure if reinstalling fixes it, since it doesn't actually clean itself from the computer properly when it uninstalls, but it's better for it to not be running once it's screwed up.

As for the "underscore" thing, maybe play around with power management, and test enabling/disabling it in the BIOS or something.

On a similar note, my parent's (xp home) pc also goes to a "you may now turn of the computer" screen, and the "power" button ont he front doesn't turn it off. Any way to make it just turn off when XP shuts down?

I THINK it just turned off back when it had 98 SE on it, but I'm not sure.

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Originally posted by crono_logical
Uninstall Zonealarm. It's a pretty foul piece of software once it breaks down - unfortunately very few people realise it until it happens to them. I'm not sure if reinstalling fixes it, since it doesn't actually clean itself from the computer properly when it uninstalls, but it's better for it to not be running once it's screwed up.

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I did a re-install, seeing as last time I tried to do it I got some error about "True Vector", whereas this time it did it nicely (presumably because I shut down ZA first). Anyway, the acursed underscore is back where it used to be and ZA shuts down pretty well, thanks. :)

On another note, what would be a better Firewall? Preferably something simplistic that doesn't hog my resources.

I have no idea for simplistic ones, I like complex ones that give me lots of control over it's state :p