When a user shuts down Windows XP, first the system has to kill all services
currently running. Every once in a while the service does not shut down
instantly and windows gives it a change to shut down on its own before it kills it.
This amount of time that windows waits is stored in the system registry.
If you modify this setting, then windows will kill the service earlier. To modify
the setting, follow the directions below:
Start Regedit.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control.
Click on the “Control” Folder.
Select “WaitToKillServiceTimeout”
Right click on it and select Modify.
Set it a value lower than 2000 (Mine is set to 200).
Shutdown XP faster 2
Like previous versions of windows, it takes long time to restart or shutdown windows xp
when the “Exit Windows” sound is enabled. to solve this problem you must disable
this useless sound.
click start button then go to settings -> control panel -> Sound,
Speech and Audio devices -> Sounds and Audio Devices -> Sounds,
then under program events and windows menu click on “Exit Windows” sub-menu and highlight it.
now from sounds you can select,choose “none” and then click apply and ok.
now you can see some improvements when shutting down your system.