The opening question is pretty straightforward and boils down to why does Windows interfere with the user input during the shutdown process? It means you cannot manually resolve the reasonable shutdown questions offered by apps like you could do in XP for example, or any Linux version. You must abort each shutdown, answer the one open question, then try again, at which point you get the next one.
Unfortunately Windows 7 is littered with cases of new 'features' that actually detract from usability and productivity. Moving folders in Explorer when opening is my pet peeve, this one on shutdown follows a close second, having to go through the Network and Sharing Center for Dummies to interact with the network devices and with the visually pleasant but interfering graphic overload of Aero, are just a few examples.
FWIW I just tested the shutdown and it does block at the first application delaying the shutdown - opened Notepad and Wordpad, started editing a doc in each but didn't save, had a browser, couple of other apps open, then start shutdown. The shutdown modal UI comes up and when it has a program at the top of the list which is blocking the shutdown, it stops at that app. Any other apps remain below it in the list and do not attempt to shutdown or even get flagged as going to block the shutdown. So abort shutdown, closed Notepad, then shutdown again - now it is Wordpad blocking. Abort shutdown, close Wordpad, restart shutdown - now it is Outlook blocking. Yawn.
Not a good addition IMO and I haven't found a way to turn it off.
1But it doesent feel like ALL applications get the shutdown message - it feels like each is sent a shutdown message in order, and if one delays then no other apps shutdown, even though they have no changes to save... – Mesh – 2011-04-21T10:32:26.840
I have not seen this in my Win7 systems. I have seen numerous times that other apps continue to shut down even though one app is holding things up. – BBlake – 2011-04-21T11:55:53.833
2It happen exactly what @Metril says. So Adrian if you don't wan't to manually close those application that need your interaction you could always press the "Force restart" button, but with the consequence of losing not saved work. – mjsr – 2011-04-21T11:57:18.347
1I've just restarted again, the 'problem' seem to be that, W7 does shutdown the apps but only while the UI blocking dialog is up... so if you cancel and attend to the blocking app you then have to shutdown again...and again... I can kind of see what the designers were thinking, it just seems awkward in practise. Why block? why not have a floating window or notification window that shuts down apps iteratively? – Mesh – 2011-04-21T12:46:24.317
5I don't get why the full screen UI covers up any program save dialogs. Most of the time if there's an unsaved document, it's something disposable like a copy of Notepad which I pasted some text into just to hold onto it temporarily (I'm pretty conscientious to save early&often). But I can never risk it, I always have to cancel and review - why would this be a full screen modal which prevents you from interacting with the programs in question? – MightyE – 2011-04-21T13:44:10.157
1@MightyE Exactly! why throw the modal? – Mesh – 2011-04-21T16:03:46.847