weird, very wrong problem

[Warthog]

Just a minute ago, I changed some settings on my mouse which required me to restart. So I click "Restart". It freezes on the Windows is shutting down screen. Ok, typical of Windows, I'll just hit the panic button which has never failed because it has nothing to do with Windows. I press it. I press it again. I press it yet another time.

MY PANIC BUTTON IS NOT WORKING!!

The Windows flag is still proudly displaying itself on my screen. It proclaims, "Ha ha ha!! You're having a problem and for once you can't blaim it on me!"

It mocks me.

I calmly say to myself: "Self, we have a problem". I reach in back and pull the brain plug from my precious computer. HA! You will restart no matter what I have to do to you! I plug it back in. It starts up fine. I attempt to go online to tell my problem to you fine folks BUT Windows says, "No! I will not let you into Sysopt!!!". It freezes on the home page.

So here I am after the second restart.

The thing is that this is the THIRD time that my power button has not functioned when I needed it most!

Warthog

[scotter]

thats a atx for ya just when ya think every thing is fine the mobo locks up and the only thing to do us grab the plug http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/frown.gif

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

just to make sure.. did you try to hold down the power button for 5 seconds or longer? I know this is becomming a problem more often where I work on certain systems. Have you downloaded the Windows Update for the infinite hanging on shutdown yet?

Both of these would be my first thoughts in troubleshooting although you have probably already thought of them http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Warthog]

No, I did not hold it down for 5 sec. Did hold it down for about 3 sec though. What I forgot to mention is that this has happened 3 times in the past MONTH. I've had this computer since last Sept. I had just reformatted the drive when it happened for the first time.

I'm not going to loose sleep over the issue - after all it doesn't happen that much. I just like to post my problems here to make people aware of the issue http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif and it's "solutions". That's how I learn anyway.

If it happens again, I'll just call Dell and tell them to send me a new mobo for free.

hehehehe

Warthog

[Wiz]

mojo is right. hold the power for 5 seconds to stop it.

[Warthog]

So, you guys are saying that if I hold the button for 5 seconds when/if this happens again, it will magically shut off? Why does this happen in the first place?

Warthog

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

well, under normal circumstances this feature works if your power button was programed to toggle standby/active instead of power on/off or something like that. I saw it in the BIOS. You can also set it so that no matter what, you can always hold down the power button to shut the pc off, although I have found this to not work at times of unstability.

but in answer to your question, yes, try to hold the power in for 5 seconds or longer next time and see what happens.

good luck http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Wiz]

holding the power button in for 5 seconds cuts power to the motherboard, on most motherboards. I have only seen 1 that did not, and it was one of the first ATX motherboards...

[Warthog]

Thank you both very much! I will try that next time!

Warthog