If you are using Windows XP from a long time then you are most likely to experience the problem of slow shut down. If you are wondering why we all face this problem then the answer lies in the registry keys of the Windows XP. Once the shutdown command is triggered, Windows waits for some time before closing all the applications and this wait period is determined by the registry keys.

Following are the steps required to speed up the shutdown process –

Go to ‘Start’. Navigate to ‘Run’, open it and type ‘regedit’. Press the Enter key.

Now, move to ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\’ and then double-click the registry key named as ‘WaitToKillAppTimeout’ and set the value as 1000. By doing this, you have set the wait period to 1seconds.

Sometimes, Windows XP prompts the user for his input if one or more applications are running or not responding and a shut down command was triggered. It increases the shutdown time but it’s possible to fix this by editing the registry settings.

Again, use the ‘regedit’ command and then move to ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop’.

Once you reach the correct location, you’ll see a registry key named as ‘AutoEndTasks’. Double click it and set the value to 1.

Now, restart your system and you’ll notice considerable difference in the shutdown time.