How To: Check for abnormal shutdown

This article describes how to check for abnormal shutdown of the computer as the abnormal shutdown can affect your data.

Step-by-step guide

This might happen due to:

1. Sudden unplanned power disconnection.
2. An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) support program turns off the Windows Server 2003-based computer.
3. There is no log on at the Windows logon screen after the computer is started.
4. There is no key press or mouse movement for a long time.
5. A program that automatically calls the exitwindows.exe function from the scheduler, such as an uninterruptible power supply support program, is running.
6. The Winlogon.exe process does not ignore the Windows logon screen saver time-out causing an abnormal shutdown of the computer.

CHECKING FOR ABNORMAL SHUTDOWN

1. Open computer management
2. In the left hand pane:
   1. Expand Event Viewer.
   2. Expand Windows Logs.
   3. Click on System.
3. In the right hand pane: 
   1. Double click on any log entry. 
   2. The Event Properties window will open.
       

FOR WINDOWS 7

FOR WINDOWS 8

TO IDENTIFY IF AN ABNORMAL SHUTDOWN OCCURRED

FOR WINDOWS 7 AND 8

A proper message, which says that the last shutdown was not normal, can be seen in the Event Properties window.

FOR WINDOWS 2003 SERVER, WINDOWS 2008 R2 SERVER, WINDOWS 2012 SERVER

At the start of the next day's work, the OS provides a prompt to tell that the previous shutdown was unplanned.