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Tackling slow computer shutdowns   by Anonymous

Question : My problem is when the time comes to shut down or restart my PC - it takes about two to three minutes to shut down or restart. Please help.

Answer : Slow shutdowns can be due to various reasons. The main reason for slow shutdowns is page file clearing. This is especially indicated if the hard disk light goes on and stays on while the operating system (OS) is shutting down.

The page file is a file on the hard disk that's used as virtual memory. Virtual memory augments the random access memory on the system board. Since the page file may contain sensitive information, many OSes can be set to clear the page file when it (the OS) shuts down.

Many Web sites state this improves the security posture of an OS. They're not wrong in this, except that saying this improves the security posture of an OS is a little like saying installing 12 locks and a biometric identification system with voice analysis improves the security posture of a house.

Page file compromise is very low risk because there are many other ways to attempt to compromise the security and integrity of an OS, many of which would be easier and have better yield rates. Because of this, this option is not recommended for all but the most secure environments.

In Windows, this option is controlled by a registry entry. The registry entry in question is "ClearPageFile-AtShutdown". This key is usually located in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management section of the registry.

To attempt to turn off page file clearing, start (run) the program regedt32.exe and navigate to the HKEY_ LOCAL _MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control \ Session Manager\Memory Management section. On the right pane, check if the entry "ClearPageFileAtShutdown" is visible. If it is, right-click on it and select Modify from the pop-up menu. When the EDIT DWORD window pops up, type "0" in the box under Value Data and click on the OK button. After the PC restarts, the next shutdown should take a little less time.

Another possibility is that there are programs or services that take some time to shut down. In general, it is not advisable to have too many services or programs running in the background because all these will have to be terminated before the OS can shut down gracefully.

To test for this, try closing all open programs and manually shutting down all background applications (including all firewall/anti-virus software) just before shutting down the OS.

Most background applications can be shut down by right-clicking on the icon in the taskbar and selecting Exit or some similar option. If it shuts down faster after all the background applications have been shut down, it's possible that there are one or more background applications that take a long time to shut down. If this is the case, not much can be done other than shutting down the offending application or finding a way to configure the parent program so it doesn't load a background application when it starts.

The offending application can be identified by looking through the event logs (Start --> Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Event Viewer). If nothing looks amiss, it can also be identified in this manner: First, shutdown a background application and then shut down the OS. Not the shutdown time. On the next restart, shut down another background application and note the shutdown time. This should be repeated for every application that runs in the background. If at any time the shutdown time improves after a background application is shut down, the same application becomes a prime suspect in the "slow shutdown time" issue.

It's also possible to decrease shutdown time by decreasing the time Windows waits for hung and slow applications to shut down.

To change this time, open the registry editor (regedt32) and navigate to the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control section. From here, right-click on "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" and select Modify. In the box under ValueData, enter the time (in millisecond) the OS should wait until it summarily kills the service. The default value is 20,000 (20,000 milliseconds or 20 seconds).

Other settings that can be added here include "Hung-AppTimeout" and "Auto-EndTasks".

HungAppTimeout controls the amount of time the OS should wait before killing a hung or frozen application. AutoEndTasks tells the OS when to end hung applications automatically, or display the End Tasks dialogue. To add any of the two settings, right-click on the right pane and select New --> String Value. Enter the name of the setting (HungApp-Timeout or AutoEndTasks as appropriate). Next, right-click on the added setting, select Modify and enter an appropriate value.

For HungAppTimeout, an appropriate value is the amount (in millisecond) that the OS should wait before terminating an application. Suitable values for AutoEndTasks include "0" and "1 ", with "0" meaning "end hung applications automatically, do not show End Tasks dialogue" and "I" meaning "show End Tasks dialogue when the shutdown time exceeds the value stated in HungAppTimeout".

If using Internet Explorer, ensuring that the browser clears the Temporary Internet Files folder every time it shuts down (Tools --> Internet Options --> Advanced --> Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed) and defragmenting the hard disk drive may result in faster shutdown times.

About the Author

No technical problems

Rectifying IE script error   by Anonymous

Question : Every time when I sign in to MSN messenger I get this message:

"Internet Explorer Script Error. An error has occured in the script on this page.

Line: 455 Char: 3 Error: object doesn't support this property or method Code: 0 URL: http//t.msn.com/en-my/default.aspx? Do you want to continue script on this page? Yes/No" How do I fix it?

Answer : This either means that there's a bug in the script on that page, or the software being used is out of date. To attempt to solve it, download and install the latest version of Internet Explorer (IE). The latest version of IE can be found at windowsupdate.microsoft.com or at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx -- just point to "downloads" and select the latest version of IE from there.

All too often, when people update the operating system, they forget to update the browser. This will break compatibility with a lot of pages and applications which attempt to use functions that are only available in the latest versions. Because of this, the browser should be updated when the operating system is updated.

If the error still occurs after the browser is updated, then it's a good bet that there's a bug in the script on that page.

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No technical problems

The Epson Chip Resetter: Maintaining the efficiency of your printer   by Marisa Pellegrino

When you rely on your printer to produce quality printouts on demand, there is no time for a delay due to misinformation from your printing machine. Unfortunately, a common occurrence in the new Epson model ink jet printers is that the chip will think the printer is out of ink when in fact it is not. In order to guarantee that this does not happen to you, it is wise to use a chip resetter.

Beginning in 2000, Epson began the addition of chips onto the 870 series cartridges. These cartridges, referred to as "intellidge," can now be found in all current Epson printers. The chip essentially sits on the cartridge and is connected to the circuitry in the printer. When the chip detects that the micro-droplets printed have reached their maximum, it disables the printer. Despite the fact that your cartridge may not actually be empty, the chip will still prevent you from completing your print job displaying an message that you are out of ink. The presence of this chip will also prevent your printer from recognizing when you refill the same cartridge with ink as it will only remember the amount of ink printed. In principle, it is useful to have a way of monitoring the life span of your cartridge, but if your printer is constantly being overruled by an overzealous chip, you need to find a way to rectify the situation. The addition of an Epson chip resetter will ensure that your print jobs are not interrupted unnecessarily.

The Epson chip resetter has the ability to override a difficult chip that is telling your printer that it is out of ink. With a resetter tool, it is possible, whenever necessary, to reset the memory chip. This simple resetting process allows the printer to recognize that a new cartridge has been installed and is full.

To make the addition of a resetter tool even easier it is possible to purchase a universal resetter that can reset any Epson printer cartridge chip. To use your new tool, remove your colour or black cartridge from your printer and place the resetter against the green chip on the cartridge. A light will flash then become solid green, indicating that your chip has been successfully reset. Now you are ready to replace the cartridge into your printer.

No one likes it when a mechanism that is designed to make life easier, actually makes life more difficult. Unfortunately, the addition of the Epson chips onto the cartridges of many printers has had just that effect. To ensure that your print job is never unnecessarily interrupted again, and to safeguard the efficiency of your printer, use an Epson chip resetter. The tool is easy to use and in the end, will spare you aggravation and save you precious time.

About the Author

A recent grad from Concordia University's English Department, Marisa uses her computer technology skills along side her writing skills to be the webmaster for The Print Pot. Sharing her interest and expertise about ink jet refill kits has helped convince many of the advantages of refilling rather than discarding empty cartridges.

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