Shutting Down or Logging Off Windows Takes a Long Time

ID: Q179723

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

It may take an unusually long time to shut down or log off a Windows-based computer on which Roaming User Profiles are enabled.


CAUSE

This behavior can occur if Internet Explorer is installed on the computer, and your user profile contains a large Temporary Internet Files folder (cache).


RESOLUTION

To work around this behavior, use any of the following methods:

Method 1

Empty your Temporary Internet Files folder each time you quit Internet Explorer. To do so, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  2. Double-click Internet, and then click the Advanced tab.


  3. Under Security, click the "Delete saved pages when browser closed" check box to select it, and then click OK. NOTE: This does not delete content in the Cookies, History, or Subscription folders.



Method 2

Maintain each user's temporary Internet files in the user's Home directory. Although this still consumes server storage, it does not require that the files be copied to the server when users log off.

Method 3

Maintain all users' temporary Internet files in a shared common folder. Note that if you use this method, all user's cookies are stored in the same location.

Method 4

Maintain each user's temporary Internet files on the local drive in a location other than the user's profile folder. This is the most efficient method. However, this does not allow a user's cookies to follow the user to other stations.


MORE INFORMATION

Internet Explorer 4.0 and 4.01 supports Roaming User Profiles. This means that your personal Internet Explorer settings (Active Desktop, favorites, subscriptions, cache, and cookies) are stored on a Microsoft Windows NT server, and are copied to any Windows-based computer you log on to that is configured to use Roaming User Profiles. Your settings are copied back to the server when you shut down or log off the computer. If your Temporary Internet Files folder is large, it can take an unusually long time to shut down or log off the computer. Additionally, this can cause disk space problems on servers with many user profiles, or with several user profiles that contain large Temporary Internet Files folders.

For additional information about Roaming User Profiles, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q142682
TITLE : How to Create and Copy Roaming User Profiles in NT 4.0

For additional detailed information about Roaming User Profiles, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/techdetails/default.asp

Additional query words: client 4.00 4.01 


Keywords          : kbenv msiew95 msient win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,4.01
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: January 30, 1999