computer shut down

[uticalane]

I have windows xp home edition compaq presario 6029us, amd athlon, xp 2100 + 1.73ghz, and 480mb of ram. My computer is about 4 years old. What I noticed when I shut down my computer it started back up again as if I had click on restart my computer, but I click on shut down my computer. The only way I can get it to stay shut down is by pressing on the button in front of the computer that I would normally use to start it up. As for the rocker switch I do not know if it is in the back because I do not know what a rocker switch is. Could you please tell me what it is. Thanks

[jcnoernberg]

rocker switch:

:) http://www.mikhailtech.com/articles/psu/truepower330/truepower330-03.jpg

[uticalane]

Okay now I know what it is, but I have never touched it.

[Sylvander]

Does this apply?
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=311806
Do you have the Roxio Easy CD Creator 5.0 or Direct CD 5.0 program is installed on your computer?

[uticalane]

I have version 5 basic. I went to the roxio site and tried to download updated drivers but it didn't install them because it stated that it will only download updates if I have the creator 5 platinum version.

[Sylvander]

The update for version 5 basic to suit WinXP is here:
http://www.roxio.com/en/support/ecdc/ecdc_basic_xp_updt53.jhtml

QUOTE
"Updates Easy CD Creator 5.xx Basic and Starter Kit to version 5.3.5
Easy CD Creator 5.3.5 adds drive support and several fixes for all operating systems; it adds support for DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW, as well as adding Windows XP support. For more information on fixes included click here (http://www.roxio.com/en/support/ecdc/version_history.jhtml)."

[uticalane]

I was able to download the update with the info you gave me.Thank You. But my original problem is still with me. The computer is still reatarting after I shut it down.

[Sylvander]

Did you follow ALL of the instructions in the Microsoft link?
e.g.
Did you UNTICK "Automatic Restart"?
Perhaps you should follow their instructions to "Remove the Easy CD Creator software" and see what effect that has on the problem.

Microsoft are saying the anything earlier than revision 5.1 doesn't work with WinXP.
If you uninstall Easy CD Creator and the problem disappears, then you know that's the cause of the problem.
If it doesn't disappear, then you should begin looking for another cause.

[uticalane]

I have unclick the restart box, but that didn't help. As for the roxio it was intalled on my pc when I purchased it with windows xp. I will uninstall the roxio software. Will not be at my computer till Monday, and that is when I will try that. I want to thank you for all your help.

[Sylvander]

"roxio it was intalled on my pc when I purchased it with windows xp"
Do you have the means to reinstall it again once uninstalled?
If not, you should make [an image] backup of your system partition as it is now, so you can "jump back" to the way things are now if necessary.
Do you have the means to make and restore image backups?

[uticalane]

How do I make a backup of my system partition?

[Sylvander]

"How do I make a backup of my system partition?"
QUESTIONS
1. Do you have a backup program at present?
2. How many HDD's, of what size, how many partitions on each, FAT32 or NTFS?
3. Do you have an optical burner? [CD-RW, DVD-RW]
4. Do you have [or can you make] a FAT32 partition [other than any of those you want to backup] on an internal HDD that you can save backups to? The partitions you backup with "Image" can be of ANY type.

To answer your question...
There are many different ways that it can be done using different backup programs and different people on the forums use their own methods.
Search the forums using a term like "backup".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

One free trial method is to use "Image" [for DOS, by Terabyte] on the free "Emergency Boot CD" [EBCD] in the link given below.
Once you've made the EBCD bootable CD you just boot from it, the program runs and displays the first menu [a list of useful utilities], you hit enter [ok the mouse driver, English language, CD driver] and are taken to the 2nd menu. At the 2nd menu you use the [now available] mouse cursor to select "Image".
I have a spare FAT32 partition to save backups to and that's all I've ever used, so it's all I know how to do [you may be able to use optical disks].
I tell it to make a backup, it shows me my drives/partitions, I navigate to the C: partition using the up/down arrows and hit enter. I'm asked what file size to use [the backups are saved in multiple files if it's too big for a single file]. The size you choose depends upon whether you're saving to optical disks [of what capacity] or to a HDD [2 GB in this case].
I'm then asked to type in a location and file name to save to.
I have already made a folder on a partition, so I type...
[B]g:\image\c\060329
g is the partition...
image is the folder...
c is the sub-folder where I hold the backups of the C: partition...
060329 is the file name...
06 is the year...
03 is the month...
29 is the day...

I hit "Enter" and the backup proceeds whilst I do other things.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

To restore a backup is very similar.
You run Image...
You tell it you want to restore a backup...
You tell it which partition you want to restore to...
You navigate to where you have stored the file holding the backup...
You choose it and hit "Enter"...
The restore proceeds...
When complete you hit "Esc" and are taken back to the 2nd menu.
One of the options on the 2nd menu is to reboot, which you choose.
When the PC reboots, the system partition [if that's what you restored] is back to the way it was when you made the backup.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. How to make a free “Smart Boot Manager” floppy
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41498
This makes it easier to boot a chosen drive [particularly the one holding the EBCD].

2. How to make a free EBCD bootable CD
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41485
This has a number of useful utilities included including "Image" [for DOS, by Terabyte] & "File Manager".