Subj : XP's Shutdown File
To   : Ed Vance
From : Paul Quinn
Date : Sun Dec 11 2016 19:41:36

Hi! Ed,

On 09 Dec 16 21:05, you wrote to All:

 EV> Does anyone know where XP stores the file it makes when either
 EV> choosing the Turn Off or Hibernate options and it says "Savings
 EV> Settings....."?

I don't know about Hibernate, Ed.  I've never used it, ever.  But I had some 
fun this afternoon & evening, playing with a couple of XP toys out of 
VirtualBox...

 EV> I would like to Delete that file using a Ubuntu Live CD so hopefully
 EV> the next time I turn the XP pc Off it will make a new file without any
 EV> settings in it that was held over from times when I was having
 EV> troubles when XP wasn't behaving as it should.

Mmm... I'd recommend having access to an older backup, first...

My tests involved attaching the C: drive of each of the /other/ vBox as the D: 
drive of each XP, in turn.  That way each of the other's C: drive could be 
explored without any messy booting of the drives, thereby causing additional 
file writes.  Then I used Total Commander on each XP to _search_ for files 
updated just on or after the shutdown command's time (up to 5 minutes later, 
which is ridiculous of course as a shutdown typically only takes less than a 
minute).

The first XP vBox PC is your basic out of the box thing (from 2003?) without 
any updates (that I know of), or, service packs applied (none, nil, nada). It's 
been a test PC in that state since I got my hands on the CD.  Its shutdown 
resulted in 12 files being updated.

The second XP vBox has been updated to death (nearly, I think), up to SP2.  Its 
shutdown updated 41 files.  A lot of those were in the Avast tree, and other 
general software packages.

From a rough eyeball inspection, the most likely culprit common to both PCs is 
the NTUSER.DAT file.  BTW, on each PC there were multiple versions of 
NTUSER.DAT doo-hickeys updated, in different directories.  That's why I 
commented on your needing a good backup.  (And, from a time before you were 
having your troubles.)

Complete file lists and a couple of happy snaps (screen window captures) are 
available in email, if you want.  Just tell me.

Cheers,
Paul.

.... All stressed out and no one to choke.
--- Paul's Win98SE VirtualBox
 * Origin: Quinn's Post - Maryborough, Queensland, OZ (3:640/384)

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