- To schedule a shutdown from the Windows search bar, type the following command, replacing ‘time’ with the number of seconds before the PC turns off: shutdown -s -f -t time
- Using hibernate is quicker than shutting down and restarting your PC. To do so, open the Power options, choose Sleep, and then select Hibernate .
Method 1: Set Auto Shutdown Using Task Scheduler
Task Scheduler is a built-in Windows OS app that can be used to schedule different chores. Here’s how to use it to schedule an auto shutdown on your PC.
Step 1: Type Task Scheduler in your Windows computer’s search bar and hit Enter .
Step 2: Under the Actions section , click Create Basic Task .
Step 3: Give the task a name and a description (optional), and click Next . For this tutorial, we’ll name the task Auto-Shutdown at 12 AM.
Step 4: Choose how often you want the task done (daily, weekly, monthly, or a one-time task) and click Next .
Step 5: Next, select a start date and the time you want your PC to shut down automatically.
Step 6: On the new window, select Start a program and tap the Next button.
Step 7: Click the Browse button from the subsequent menu.
Step 8: Navigate to the bottom of the page, select the shutdown application , and click Open .
Step 9: Type -s into the Add arguments (optional) box and click Next .
Step 10: Preview the auto shutdown task on the new window and click Finish.
Method 2: Use Command Prompt
You can use the Command Prompt menu to auto-shutdown a Windows PC. Here’s how.
Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu, type Command Prompt , and hit Enter .
Step 2: Enter the command below in the Command Prompt window. Replace XXXX with the number of seconds after which the computer shuts down.
shutdown -s -t XXXX -f
Step 3: You can also shut down the PC at a specific time. For instance, you can enter’ at 22.:30 shutdown /s’ to do so.
at time shutdown /s
Refer to our guide if the Command Prompt doesn’t open on your Windows PC.
Method 3: Create a Desktop Shortcut for Shutdown Timer
You can create a desktop shortcut if you don’t want to remember a specific auto-shutdown command. Here’s how.
Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and expand New from the context menu.
Step 2: Select Shortcut.
Step 3: Enter the following command and click Next . Replace XXXX with the number of seconds after which you want to shut down the PC:
shutdown -s -t XXXX
Type a name for the shortcut. Once done, tap the Finish button.
Windows will then create a desktop shortcut. You can double-click it to start the auto shutdown timer.
