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Shutting Down Your Computer

Dell™ Technology Guide

  Shutdown States

  Docking and Undocking Your Laptop Computer

  Shutting Down Your Computer When it Fails to Shut Down Normally

  Shutting Down a Computer When it Stops Responding and Displays a Solid Blue Screen

  Starting Your Computer in Safe Mode

  Restarting Your Computer After a Power Loss

Ensure that you shut down the Microsoft^® Windows^® operating system before you turn off the computer.

Windows Vista^®

1. Save and close all open files and close all programs.
   
   
2. Click Start and move the mouse pointer to the arrow next to the lock button.
   
   
3. Click Shut Down.
   
   

Windows^® XP

1. Save and close all open files and close all programs.
   
   
2. Click Start and then select Turn Off menu.
   
   
3. The Turn off computer dialog box appears.
   
   
4. Click the Turn Off button to shut down the computer.
   
   

HINT: If your computer is not operating properly, restarting Windows often solves the problem.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about turning off your computer properly in Windows, see Windows Help and Support: click Start or ® Help and Support.

NOTE: Windows operating systems start automatically when you turn on the computer.

Shutdown States

Microsoft^® Windows Vista^®

Sleep	Sleep is a power-saving state, or mode. Sleep saves all open documents and programs, and allows the computer to quickly resume full-power operation (typically within several seconds) when you want to start working again.
Shut Down	Use shut down only when you must turn off the power to your computer, for example, when you want to add memory or you don't plan to use the computer for several days.

Windows^® XP

Standby	Standby is a state in which the display and hard disks turn off, so that your computer uses less power. When you want to use the computer again, it comes out of standby quickly, and your desktop is restored exactly as you left it. Because standby does not save your desktop state to disk, a power failure while on standby can cause a loss of unsaved information.
Hibernation	Hibernation is a state in which your computer shuts down to save power but first saves everything in memory on your hard disk. When you restart the computer, your desktop is restored exactly as you left it. Use hibernation to save power when you will be away from the computer for an extended time while working.
Shut Down	Use shut down when you must turn off the power to your computer. This action shuts down Windows so that you can safely turn off the computer power.

Ending a Program That is not Responding

If a program on your computer stops responding or appears frozen, Windows will try to find the problem and fix it automatically. In order to continue work, you may have to end (terminate) the program. You can terminate the program by using the Task Manager utility.

1. Right-click the taskbar, and click Task Manager.
   
   
2. The Task Manager window appears.
   
   
3. In the Applications tab, select the program that is not responding and then click End Task.
   
   

NOTE: Any data entered or changes made in that program and not saved will be lost.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about Task Manager, see Windows Help and Support: click Start or ® Help and Support.

Ending a Process That is not Responding

Use the Task Manager to end (terminate) processes that have stopped responding. A process can be a program, such as Windows Explorer, or a service, such as MSTask.

1. Right-click the taskbar, and click Task Manager® Processes tab.
   
   
2. In the Process tab, select the process that is not responding and then click End Process.
   
   

HINT: Be careful when ending a process. If you end a process associated with an open program, the program will also close and you will lose any unsaved data. If you end a process associated with a system service, some part of the system may not function properly.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about what to do when a process does not respond, see Windows Help and Support: click Start or ® Help and Support.

Docking and Undocking Your Laptop Computer

Undocking Your Computer While it is Running— Hot Undocking

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) is a form of power management, that enables the operating system to control the amount of power given to each device attached to the computer.

If your computer is ACPI-enabled, you can undock it while it is still running, without shutting down open applications or programs.

To determine if your computer is ACPI-enabled:

Windows Vista

1. Click Start ® Control Panel® System and Maintenance® System®Device Manager (listed under Tasks).
   
   
2. If a window appears asking for permission to continue, click Continue.
   
   
3. Look for the System devices. If your computer is ACPI-enabled, ACPI will appear next to the device name.
   
   

Windows XP

1. Click Start ® Control Panel® Performance and Maintenance.
   
   
2. Click Administrative Tools® Computer Management® Device Manager.
   OR
   Click System® System Properties® Hardware® Device Manager.
   
   
3. Look for the System devices. If your computer is ACPI-enabled, ACPI will appear next to the device name.
   
   

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about undocking your laptop computer, see the documentation that came with your computer and the documentation that came with your docking station.

Undocking Without Shutting Down

1. Save any open files.
   
   
2. Click Start ® Undock Computer and wait until the system confirms that the computer is ready to be undocked.
   
   
3. Remove the computer from the docking station.
   
   

HINT: 1) If the computer does not have power from a battery, the computer turns off when you undock it, and you lose unsaved data. 2) Never undock the computer without first preparing it. If you undock before preparing the computer, you lose unsaved data and the computer may not recover normal operation for several minutes. 3) Hot undocking is available only on computers that are ACPI-enabled.

Shutting Down Your Computer When it Fails to Shut Down Normally

You may not always be able to shut down successfully. When this happens, a program or process may be preventing your computer from shutting down. When shutting down, Windows will attempt to end all programs. If this is not successful, you may need to manually end a program and/or process using Task Manager.

Shutting Down a Stalled or "Frozen" Computer

Windows Vista

When you attempt to shut down, the screen may darken and show you which programs are preventing the computer from shutting down. It may also indicate why those programs are preventing your computer from shutting down.

• Click Shut down now to force all of the programs to end and complete the process of shutting down your computer. If you click Shut down now, you may lose data that you haven't saved.
  
  

OR

• Do not shut down. Click Cancel to return to Windows. If any of the programs that are preventing shutdown have data that you want to save, save it now. Then proceed to shut down the computer.
  
  

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about shutting down your computer, see Windows Help and Support: click Start or ® Help and Support.

Windows XP

When you attempt to shut down, Windows may display an End Program dialog box.

• Click End Now to end the program. If you choose to end the program immediately, you will lose unsaved data.
  
  

OR

• Do not shut down. Click Cancel to return to Windows. If any of the programs that are preventing shutdown have data that you want to save, save it now. Then proceed to shut down the computer.
  
  

Shutting Down a Computer When it Stops Responding and Displays a Solid Blue Screen

When an operating system experiences an unrecoverable error, the computer displays a blue screen containing error codes, and all computer operations stop. At this point, you must turn off your computer.

Press and hold the power button for at least 8 seconds. Also, you may want to remove and replace the battery for a laptop computer to ensure that power is off and components will reset when the power is turned back on. See Replacing a Battery.

HINT: If an error message is displayed when the computer stops responding, write down the message. This will help you troubleshoot the problem later.

The error reporting dialog box will be displayed after you restart your computer. Write down any error messages that may be displayed.

NOTE: Unsaved data associated with active programs will be lost.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about shutting down your computer, see: Windows Help and Support: click Start or ® Help and Support Maintenance Tasks (Enhance Performance and Ensure Security) Your system administrator support.dell.com.

Starting Your Computer in Safe Mode

Safe mode is a troubleshooting option for Windows that starts your computer in a limited state. Only the basic files and drivers necessary to run Windows are started.

You may want to start your computer in Safe Mode if you have shut down with a frozen blue screen.

The words "Safe Mode" appear in the corners of the display to identify which Windows mode you are using. If an existing problem does not reappear when you start in Safe Mode, you can eliminate the default settings and basic device drivers as possible causes.

Access the Safe Mode by pressing and holding the <F8> key while your computer restarts.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about Safe Mode, see Windows Help and Support: click Start or ® Help and Support.

Restarting Your Computer After a Power Loss

If your computer suffers a power loss, it may restart and display a series of messages.

• If you were working in an application, a message may ask you to choose a version of the document to save.
  
  
• If you had an application or program open, a message may tell you that the program did not shut down properly. You may need to shut the program down and restart your computer.
  
  

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about how to manage power options on your computer, see: Windows Help and Support: click Start or ® Help and Support Maintenance Tasks (Enhance Performance and Ensure Security) Power (Power Settings, Power Protection Devices, and Batteries).

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