Hi Arthur, I got this reply from a Google search, it may help.
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Windows 98 won't shut down properly is typical in companies with large number of computers with old software and no technician for solving problems like windows 98 won't shut down properly.
Sometimes it is a Windows problem. Sometimes it is a PC problem. Windows 98, it seems, has a flaw that sometimes prevents it from shutting down properly. You can snag a patch for the problem at http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/corporate.asp
When you get to that page, scroll down until you see "Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement." Clicking on the hyperlink will take you to a new page. It is a really, really good idea to read the notes on that page before going on to the actual download. If the patch does not work, you will have to consider some other causes behind the shutdown problem. One of your programs is refusing to shut down properly. One solution is to shut down all programs yourself rather than leave it to Windows. Uncheck all the programs listed in StartUp in the System Configuration Utility. Shut down the PC. Reboot. Shut down again. Then add one program back, shut down, reboot and shut down again. If Windows shuts down as it should, add a program back to StartUp and repeat the shutdown, reboot, shutdown routine. Do that until you have pinpointed the errant program and reinstall it. If you are running a screen saver, consider it also to be a prime suspect. Maybe if windows 98 still won't shut down properly you have a corrupted driver. Using Notepad, open your System.ini file. Put a semicolon, which serves as an "ignore this" command to the computer, to the left of every line beginning with DEVICE= and including a reference to 386. Save the file, reboot, shut down. Now windows 98 should shut down properly.No problem this time? Go back to the system.ini file and remove one of the semicolons. Save, reboot, shut down. Do this until the PC fails to shut down normally. At that point you have identified the errant driver. The device line for that bad driver probably refers to the piece of hardware the driver controls. Either reinstall the driver from the disk that came with the hardware, download an updated driver from the vendor's Web site, or call tech support for help. Another thing if windows 98 still won't shut down properly is: Your Advanced Power Management, or APM, utility has decided to take leave of its senses. Disable it, both in your BIOS file and in Windows. That little sound riff that accompanies the shutdown is hitting a sour note. Go to Control Panel and click on the Sounds icon to open the Property dialog box. Scroll down in the Events box until you see Exit Windows. Change the sound settings to None. Your TEMP folders are bulging at the seams. If the C:\Windows\TEMP folder gets overloaded, all sorts of bizarre events can ensue. Clean it out. While you are at it, clean out your Temporary Internet Files folder as well.
In most cases it would be fine to reinstall windows 98 and then there will be no more error like windows 98 won t shut down properly for you!
