Avoid Slow Windows XP Shutdowns

Speed up the shutdown process for Windows XP by closing active processes or applications quicker. A simple change to 3 registry entries may be the solution.

Steps

  1. Click Start, then click Run.
  2. In the Open box, type Regedit and click OK.
  3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
  4. On the right hand side of the screen find "WaitToKillAppTimeout" on the list.
  5. Right click on it and select Modify.
  6. Change the value to 1000.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Change the HungAppTimeout value also to 1000.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop.
  11. On the right hand side of the screen find "WaitToKillAppTimeout" on the list.
  12. Right click on it and select Modify.
  13. Change the value to 1000.
  14. Click OK.
  15. Change the HungAppTimeout value also to 1000.
  16. Click OK.
  17. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control.
  18. On the right hand side of the screen find "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" on the list.
  19. Right click on it and select Modify.
  20. Change the value to 1000.
  21. Click OK.
  22. Close Regedit.

Tips

  • This does not always work in every case, but is just one of several possible things that can be done.

Warnings

  • Before modifying the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore it in case a problem occurs.

Related Articles

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Avoid_Slow_Windows_XP_Shutdowns&oldid=298085"