Windows XP Shutdown By NT authority/System

Are you also getting a countdown timer with the message?

When it happens again, click Start, Run and in the box enter:

shutdown -a   (the -a option means abort)

Click OK and see if the shutdown process with abort...  and tell us what happens when you do that.

Then you can set about fixing what sounds like a malicious software infection.


Since the Microsoft Answers forum does not prompt for any kind of system information when a new question is asked, we know absolutely nothing about your system.  Not knowing fundamental information about a problem prolongs the frustration and agony of resolving these issues.

Thank you MS Answers, for making the resolution of simple problems as frustrating and time consuming as possible.

Please provide additional information about your system as best you can:

What is your system make and model?

What is your XP Version and Service Pack?

Describe your current antivirus and anti malware situation:  McAfee, Symantec, Norton, Spybot, AVG, Avira!, MSE, Panda, Trend Micro, CA, Defender, ZoneAlarm, PC Tools, Comodo, etc.

Does the afflicted system have a working CD/DVD drive (internal or external)?

Do you have a genuine bootable XP installation CD that is the same Service Pack as your installed Service Pack (this is not the same as any Recovery CDs that came with your system)?

If the system used to work properly, what do you think might have changed since the last time it did work properly?

Assuming you can abort the shutdown, follow up with this:

Do you not have an antivirus application with a current subscription?  This looks like the Blaster worm from 2003, which all current A/V applications should have detected and stopped.  In addition, the monthly Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool should have dealt with it, so perhaps you're not updating your system as well.

The current Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool can be directly downloaded here:  http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=16
See KB890830 for instructions on using it.

However, if you have been running with no active antivirus, you should consider your computer compromised and format and reinstall Windows.  In the words of long-time MS MVP Robear Dyer,

Cleaning a Compromised System
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc700813.aspx

Back-up any personal data (e.g., online banking & credit-card passwords, none of which should be considered 100% trustworthy at this point) then format the hard-drive (typically the C: drive) & do a clean install of Windows. Please note that a Repair Install (AKA in-place upgrade) will NOT fix this!

I have MS Security Essential and have Automatic Updates On... if it is a virus, how did it get past those???? plus I only had this installation of XP for 8 or so months now!!!

Security Essentials should have caught Blaster.

I'll defer to Jose here; please answer his questions.