So, I could probably solve this if I read around the net enough, but so far, google searches and the random fixes I've read haven't been any help, and there seem to be some knowledgeable enough folks around here.

I'm wondering if anyone is aware of common shutdown issues with Windows XP. This has been a problem for me for a long time now and I'm just tired of it -- at first it wasn't a terrible problem as I leave my computer on all the time anyway, but any time I need to restart for updates and such, the computer will get as far as a black screen, but never completely power down. I always have to do so manually. It may not be a huge deal but I have an innate nervousness about using the power button to shut down.

So: I'm using XP, service pack three on a Dell computer. As far as I can tell, there are no programs failing to terminate which could cause any hangup, and the events log reveals nothing after a failed shut down. Also, I installed a new power supply just over a year ago, so I wouldn't think it related to that. There have been no serious hardware changes that I can think of since the problem began. I can't remember all the other things that I've investigated but if anyone has advice I can tell you whether or not it's been tried. Thanks in advance if anyone has some ideas.