When I choose "Shut Down" from the Start Menu, my computer hangs at the "Please Wait" screen

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Answer:

Most likely, one or more of your drivers is not allowing itself to be unloaded.
This, supposedly, is less of a problem in Windows 98 and Windows Me than in Windows 95 (most drivers are no longer unloaded when you shut down), but it still seems to trip up Windows from time to time.
Try hitting Enter when it hangs to "wake it up."
Try holding Shift while clicking Ok in the "Shut Down" dialog - this might allow you to shut down faster, and bypass whatever is causing your system to hang.
This can also happen if the sound file for Shutdown becomes corrupted. Double-click on the Sounds icon in Control Panel and remove or change the sound event for Shutdown.