when i shut down windows xp my computer does not turn off, it only goes to the scree where it says, "its not safe to turn of your computer" and it stays there, is there any way to get winxp to turn of the computer? because i cannot turn it off with my power button, ihave to turn the computer off from the switch in teh back of my computer.

Hold the power button (on the front panel) in long enough for it to shutdown. That is how the newer generation of computers shutdown. Yes, my machine powers down automatically when I select to shutdown. I am not certain, but the hardware may be the key player in that.

Your Computer May Not Shut Down After You Upgrade to Windows XP ("It is now safe to turn off your computer") http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;313290

Make sure you have APM (Advanced Power Management) enabled in your bios. If not, it will not shut down completely by itself. -=Bryan=-

You have to press your power button for about 5 seconds for it to shut down from the power button. This happened on my old computer where i have to manually shut it down