My PC does the same thing and reports "It is now safe to turn off your computer"

I have to hold the power button in and wait for PC to shut down. The problem exists due to the motherboard not being ATX compatable frown
My mum's machine on the other hand swtiches off when you ask it to shutdown, but I have recently put a new motherboard in that smile

I found the following tip on techtv.com :-


1.Go to your Control Panel and choose Power Options.

2.Select the Advanced tab.

3.Under "Power buttons" you can choose what happens when you press the power button on your computer. It's probably already set to shut down, but it's a good idea to make sure before you start wantonly shutting down your machine.
NOTE: Some motherboards simply don't support this feature. If you don't have "Power buttons" in your Advanced tab, and feel comfortable poking around your BIOS, you can see if you can enable this feature in BIOS. But you may just be out of luck due to your motherboard -- sorry!

4.If it's not set to shut down, choose that item from the drop-down list.

5.Now you're ready to shut your computer off. Just hit the power button. Don't touch the keyboard, and keep your hands off that mouse. It's perfectly safe to shut down your computer with the touch of a button. Enjoy!

-----
I haven't tried this yet, as my machine is on 24/7 smile

Hope this helps

Clare

"Hi, you've reached the desk of Lois Lane. Leave a message at the tone.
But don't expect a call back unless it's about Superman . . . Have a great day!"
Lois - [Strange Visitor From Another Planet]