How to turn off your computer using the keyboard: using the Start menu, Run, and other methods. Rules for shutting down the computer - how to shut down Forced shutdown of the computer with the shutdown button

Such a timer can be set using standard tools in Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows 10 and, in my opinion, this option is suitable for most users. However, if you wish, you can use special programs to turn off your computer, some free options of which I will also demonstrate. There is also a video below on how to set a Windows shutdown timer. Additional Information: .

There are a great many different free programs for Windows that implement computer shutdown timer functions. Many of these programs do not have an official website. And even where it exists, antivirus programs issue warnings for some timer programs. I tried to list only verified and harmless programs (and give appropriate explanations for each), but I recommend that you also check your downloaded programs on VirusTotal.com.

Wise Auto Shutdown Timer

After one of the updates to the current review, the comments drew my attention to the free computer shutdown timer Wise Auto Shutdown. I looked at it and must agree that the program is really good, and in Russian and at the time of testing it was completely free of offers to install any additional software.

Turning on the timer in the program is simple:

In my opinion, this is a very convenient and simple version of the shutdown timer, one of the main advantages of which is the absence of anything malicious in the opinion of VirusTotal (and this is rare for this kind of program) and a developer with a generally normal reputation.

You can download the Wise Auto Shutdown program for free from the official website http://www.wisecleaner.com/wise-auto-shutdown.html

Airytec Switch Off

I would probably put the Airytec Switch Off computer automatic shutdown timer program in first place: this is the only one of the listed timer programs for which a working official website is clearly known, and VirusTotal and SmartScreen recognize the website and the program file itself as clean. Plus, this Windows shutdown timer is in Russian and is available for download as a portable application, which means it definitely won’t install anything additional on your computer.

After launch, Switch Off adds its icon to the Windows notification area (text notifications of the program are supported for Windows 10 and 8).

By simply clicking on this icon you can configure the “Task”, i.e. set a timer with the following parameters for automatically turning off the computer:

• Countdown to shutdown, shutdown “once” at a certain time, when the user is inactive.
• In addition to shutdown, you can set other actions - reboot, log out, disconnect all network connections.
• You can add a warning that your computer will shut down soon (so you can save your data or cancel the task).

By right-clicking the program icon, you can manually launch any of the actions or go to its settings (Options or Properties). This may be useful if the Switch Off interface is in English when you first launch it.

Additionally, the program supports remote shutdown of the computer, but I have not tested this function (installation is required, and I used the portable version of Switch Off).

You can download the switch off timer Switch Off in Russian for free from the official page http://www.airytec.com/ru/switch-off/ (at the time of writing, everything is clean there, but just in case, still check the program before installation).

sleep timer

The program with the simple name “Shutdown Timer” has a laconic design, settings for automatic startup with Windows (as well as activation of the timer at startup), naturally, in Russian and, in general, is not bad. Among the shortcomings - in the sources I found, the program tries to install additional software (which you can refuse) and uses forced closing of all programs (which it honestly warns you about) - this means that if you are working on something at the time of shutdown, you will not have time to save it. The official website of the program was also found, but it itself and the downloadable timer file are mercilessly blocked by Windows SmartScreen filters and Windows Defender. At the same time, if you check the program in VirusTotal, everything is clean. So at your own peril and risk. You can download the Shutdown Timer program from the official page http://maxlim.org/files_s109.html

PowerOff

The PowerOff program is a kind of “harvester” that has functions not only of a timer. I don't know if you'll use any of its other features, but turning off your computer works fine. The program does not require installation, but is an archive with an executable program file.

After launch, in the main window in the “Standard timer” section, you can configure the shutdown time:

• Trigger at a specified time on the system clock
• Countdown
• Shutdown after a certain period of system inactivity

In addition to shutting down, you can set another action: for example, starting a program, going into sleep mode, or locking the computer.

And everything would be fine in this program, but when closing it does not notify you in any way that you should not close it, and the timer stops working (that is, it needs to be minimized). Update: I was told that there is no problem - just check the box in the program settings Minimize the program to the system tray when closing. The official website of the program could not be found, only on sites - collections of various software. Apparently, a blank copy is here www.softportal.com/get-1036-poweroff.html(but check anyway).

Auto Power OFF

The Auto PowerOFF timer program from Alexey Erofeev is also an excellent option for turning off a laptop or computer with Windows. I couldn’t find the official website of the program, but all popular torrent trackers have the author’s distribution of this program, and the downloaded file is clean when checked (but still be careful).

After starting the program, all you need to do is set the timer by time and date (you can also make the shutdown weekly) or at any time interval, set the system action (to turn off the computer it is “Shut down”) and press the “Shutdown” button Start".

SM Timer

SM Timer is another simple free program that allows you to shut down your computer (or log out) either at a specified time or after a certain period of time.

The program even has an official website http://ru.smartturnoff.com/download.html, but still be careful when downloading from it: some of the download options appear to be loaded with Adware (download the SM Timer installer, not Smart TurnOff). The program's website is blocked by Dr. antivirus. Web, judging by the information of other antiviruses, everything is clean.

Additional Information

In my opinion, using the free programs described in the previous section is not particularly useful: if you just need to turn off the computer at a certain time, the shutdown command in Windows will do, and if you want to limit the time someone can use the computer, these programs are not the best solution (since they stop working after simply closing them) and you should use more serious products.

And lastly: many programs that require a long period of operations (converters, archivers, and others) have the ability to configure the computer to automatically turn off after the procedure is completed. So, if the shutdown timer interests you in this context, look into the program settings: perhaps there is what you need there.

There are three ways turn off the computer:

• press the computer's power button;
• Press the Shut Down button (sometimes called the Power button) in the Start menu;
• or, if it is a laptop, close its lid.

Using the Shutdown button in the Start menu

To turn off computer, click the Start button, and in the lower left corner of the Start menu, click To finish work.

After pressing the button To finish work the computer closes all open programs, the Windows system itself and the computer with the screen are completely turned off. Since your work is not saved when you turn off your computer this way, you should save your files before doing so.

Changing Shut Down Button Options

By default, the Shutdown button shuts down the computer. However, you can change the action that is performed when you press a button.

1. Open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box by right-clicking on the menu icon Start.
2. Go to the Start Menu tab.
3. On the list Action for power button select the one you want and press the OK button.

If the computer is connected to a network domain, then through the settings set by the network administrator (Group Policy settings), it may not be possible to change these settings in the manner described above.

In certain situations, the Shut Down button may change its appearance. If your computer is set to receive updates automatically and you are ready to install them, the Shut Down button will look like this:

In this case, after pressing the button Shut Down Windows first installs updates and only then turns off the computer.

Note: It takes longer to start your computer after shutting down than it does to wake it up from sleep mode.

Using Windows Sleep Mode

Instead of turning off your computer, you can put into sleep mode. When the computer goes to sleep, the display (and often the fan) turns off. When the computer is in sleep mode, the computer's light blinks or turns amber. The process of “falling asleep” lasts only a few seconds.

Because Windows saves your work, no need to close programs and files before the computer goes to sleep. However, it is advisable to always save your work before putting your computer into any of the low power modes. The next time you turn on the computer (and password if necessary), the screen will look the same as it looked before you turned it off.

To wake up the computer, press the power button on the case. Because you don't have to wait for Windows to start, your computer wakes up in seconds and is ready to go right away.

Note Note: When your computer is in sleep mode, it uses a small amount of power to store your work. If you have a laptop, don't worry - the battery won't run out. After your computer sleeps for a few hours or when the battery dies, your work is saved to the hard drive and the computer turns off completely and uses no power.

When to turn off your computer

Although putting the computer into sleep mode- this is the fastest way to turn it off and the optimal way to quickly return to work, in the following cases you still need shut down your computer.

• When adding or upgrading computer hardware, for example, installing memory, a disk drive, a sound card, or a video adapter. Turn off the computer and disconnect it from the power source before installing the hardware.
• When connecting a printer, monitor, external drive, or other equipment to your computer other than via USB or an IEEE 1394 port, turn off your computer before connecting the device.

Note: To connect equipment using a USB cable, you do not need to turn off your computer. Most new devices use this cable.

For laptop users - close the lid

If you have a laptop, there is an even easier way turn off the computer - close the lid. By the way, you can configure the actions that the computer will perform when you close the lid - it will fall asleep, turn off, or go into another energy-saving state.

You can also turn off the laptop by pressing the power button on the case.

To ensure long-term uninterrupted operation of any computer, be it a home desktop PC or laptop, it is necessary to shut it down correctly. Many novice users neglect this point, not knowing or forgetting that incorrect actions at this stage can lead to the loss of working information. And over time, it threatens to require reinstalling the operating system. Not to mention the hardware failure of your PC. This happens quite rarely, but such a risk cannot be completely eliminated.

The shutdown procedure is very simple and can be done in several ways. Let's look into the details.

Do I need to turn off my computer?

You may think: why doesn’t someone turn it off? Yes, and there may be several reasons:

• the computer is sent to sleep or hibernation mode rather than turned off;
• the computer is simply not turned off so as not to waste time turning it on;
• The computer is not turned off at night so that movies or other files can be downloaded at night.

However, there are plenty of objective reasons for switching off. Below are just a few of them:

• A working modern computer is a rather “gluttonous” device in terms of energy consumption. Therefore, its aimless operation leads to a significant increase in the monthly electricity bill.
• The slight noise of the coolers of a working system unit, as well as the burning indicators of the system blog at night can interfere with restful sleep (if the computer is in the bedroom). Therefore, it is better not to download large files (torrents, movies) at night.
• It is undesirable to leave electrical appliances turned on in a house, apartment or office when no one is there.
• Long-term continuous operation of the computer reduces the service life of the equipment.
• All components of the system unit located in it are installed only with the power off. These are RAM modules, sound cards, processor, most hard drives, etc. We understood the detailed structure of the system unit. Therefore, if you need to install an additional module in the system unit, the computer will need to be turned off.

Forced shutdown of the computer

Constantly using the methods described below to turn off the computer is extremely contraindicated for the “health” of the computer. However, many novice users, due to ignorance of the correct ways to handle computer equipment, abuse this method of turning off the computer, and then wonder why their computer does not start.

Unplug the cord from the outlet... Caution!!!

The usual action of pulling the plug of an electrical appliance from the socket is not applicable to a computer. No, of course, you can experiment...

But I can’t vouch for the continued normal functioning of the device!

The fact is that during operation, all the necessary data from operating system programs (you can find out what an operating system is and why it is needed at all) and documents are stored in the computer’s RAM. The hard drive is primarily used for persistent storage, and the correct steps must be taken to write data to it when it is turned off.

A sudden shutdown “from the socket” is an emergency option for stopping the computer, in which system files may be damaged, which will not allow the computer to start the next time.

Imagine that you are thinking about an important task and suddenly fall asleep! About the same effect will happen with a computer.

Similar consequences can occur if the uninterruptible power supply suddenly turns off. If you are not yet “familiar” with this life-saving device, then let’s briefly understand its purpose.

An uninterruptible power supply (aka UPS) can provide continuous power to your computer in the event of a sudden loss of electrical current in the network. Usually, it is not intended for long-term work, but only allows you to correctly save all open documents, close programs and turn off the computer within a few minutes. All working data will not be lost.

By the way, computer literacy tests often include the following question: “When you turn off the computer, all information is erased in...”

Answer: in RAM. Everything is saved on the hard drive.

Forcing the computer to shut down using the power button

You can turn off a frozen computer (which does not respond to keyboard or mouse presses) by pressing the power button (also known as the power button) on the system unit and holding it down. Shutdown will occur after approximately 3-4 seconds of holding the button pressed.

It is also undesirable to abuse this method, since this shutdown option is an emergency and can damage system files and lead to the loss of information important to you.

I use it only when the computer is really hopelessly frozen and does not respond to any actions for 15-20 minutes.

Therefore, I once again draw your attention!

Turning off the computer by unplugging the power cord from the outlet, pressing the button on the extension cord, or uninterruptible power supply (UPS) button without shutting down the operating system correctly will result in the loss of all unsaved data, and over time, the normal operation of the operating system will cease.

Modern operating systems will warn you about open programs before shutting down your computer.

Properly shutting down your computer

Preparation before shutdown

To ensure the safety of open documents and files that you directly worked with, before turning off the computer, you must perform a number of actions:

• save the results of your work in open programs;
• remove the disk from the drive, if it is there;
• close running applications/programs;
• give a command to turn off the computer using one of the methods that we will discuss below.

How to turn off your computer in Windows 7 via the Start menu.

Click on the button. It's located in the Start menu:

If there are open programs and unsaved documents, after clicking the button, the system will issue a warning asking you to close the programs.

If unsaved documents are not important to you, then you can speed up the shutdown process by clicking on the “Force shutdown” button.

If the documents are important, click the “Cancel” button, save the documents and close the programs and again click on “Shut down” in the “Start” menu

Next, wait until the system unit turns off (the screen will go dark, the system unit will stop buzzing, and the system unit’s power indicator will go out). After which you can turn off the UPS (uninterruptible power supply), if available, or the power strip key.
By the way, to protect your computer, another useful acquisition can be a surge protector (), just don’t confuse it with a simple extension cord!

How to turn off your computer in Windows 8 via the Start menu

To turn off your computer in Windows 8, just click on the start button (usually in the lower left corner of the Desktop). And then click on the computer shutdown icon in the upper right corner of the window.

From the menu that opens, select “Shut down.”

We wait for the system unit to turn off and turn off the power by unplugging it from the outlet or using the surge protector button or on the UPS.

Alternative options

Method 1 - start shutdown by briefly pressing the shutdown button

You can turn off your desktop computer by briefly pressing the power button on the system unit. Further actions in the case of open programs are similar to the steps described above.

If there are none, the computer will turn off automatically.

A short press on the computer's power button will begin the shutdown process (equivalent to selecting the Shutdown option in Windows, as described above).

Method 2 - How to turn off your computer using the keyboard

While on the Desktop, press the key combination “Alt+F4”. A shutdown window appears.

Click the “Ok” button. We wait for the system unit to turn off and turn it off

Turn off the laptop

When turning off the laptop, the methods discussed above are available, but there is an easier way. You simply close its lid. It automatically goes into “sleep” mode, and in case of further prolonged “rest” it will automatically turn off, saving everything stored in RAM to the hard drive. When you turn on the computer again, all data will be restored to the state it was when you closed the laptop lid. This is the default behavior of the laptop, however, it can be changed.

Be careful, your laptop may behave differently when closing the lid!

The behavior of the laptop when the lid is closed can be customized and we will talk about this in a separate article.

Automatic computer shutdown according to schedule (timer)

In your daily interactions with your computer, you may need to turn it off while you are away. For example, the process of copying a CD or defragmenting a hard drive, or processing a video file takes a long time, and you need to go away or just go to bed. How to optimally organize the computer shutdown in this case?

There are several options:

• Some programs have a designed function to automatically turn off the computer after completing assigned tasks (for example, uTorrent, Download Master);
• standard Windows tools allow you to configure shutdown automatically by time;
• There are third-party programs to automatically shut down your computer.

If you are still wondering what computer programs are, read.

As part of our “dialogue”, we will only consider using the standard “Task Scheduler” of the Windows system to organize the daily shutdown of the computer at a certain time of day. This is convenient, for example, for turning off the computer in the evening or at the end of the working day without your participation.

To start working with this program, go to the “Start” menu -> “Accessories” -> “Utilities”, select “Task Scheduler”.

We left-click on it and in the window that appears, select “Create a simple task...”

We call it arbitrarily, but it is clear to us, the planned action. Click the “Next” button...

We define the task trigger, that is, we set the mode of its execution.

Let's specify the time parameters.

In the next window we determine the required action. We are interested in “Running programs”.

We indicate the command to be executed and its additional parameters.

In the next window, after checking the entered data and clicking the “Finish” button, we will create a new task for the system.

Double-clicking with the left mouse button on it will open the task properties for editing.

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Shutting down your computer seems like a quick and easy task for a confident PC user, but if the system is frozen, an incorrect shutdown can lead to loss of files and damage to programs running in the background. Find out how you can turn off a computer running Windows in different ways from our article.

Start Menu

Before shutting down, you need to close all files and running applications, then click “Start”, in the window that opens, select “Shut down” and click on the button of the same name. Instant access to the main menu is provided by the Ctrl + Esc keys or the Win button (Windows OS logo), then the session ends as in the method described above.

Keyboard shortcut

• Simultaneous key press ALT+F4 will minimize all windows, then display a menu in which you can select the “Shutdown” task, press “Ok” or Enter.
• Key combination Ctrl+Alt+Delete calls up a hidden menu that allows you to lock the computer, change the user, or launch the task manager, etc. The computer shutdown button appears in the lower right corner.
• Keyboard shortcut Win+I in the eighth version of Windows, it provides quick access to computer settings, including ending the session. Buttons Win+L in the same OS they are displayed on the lock screen with the PC shutdown icon.

Using hot keys is especially important if the computer is frozen and does not respond to user commands.

shutdown.exe utility

Shutdown.exe is a Windows system utility that shuts down or restarts the computer at a user-specified time. Its main advantage is closing background programs in safe mode. You can manage the utility in three ways:

• via the command line;
• through a specially created shortcut;
• using the Win+R buttons.

Automatic shutdown of the computer is configured as follows:

1. Enter the “Start” menu - “All Programs” - “Accessories” - “System Tools” - “Scheduled Tasks”.
2. Click on the “Add task” line.
3. Open the program: click on “Browse” and in the C:\Windows\System32 folder, find and select the shutdown.exe utility.
4. Specify the name of the task, its execution time, frequency (on Mondays, weekends, etc.) and the task start date.
5. Enter your account password (if there is no password, you need to create and install it).
6. Complete the task setup by specifying “Set additional parameters after...” in the settings and click on the “Finish” button.
7. Specify the command to shut down the computer: C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe –s, where s is the time to automatically shut down the computer.
8. Click on the “Apply” and “Ok” buttons.

If all these manipulations seem too complicated, you can download the PowerOff program. It can turn off and restart the computer using a timer, end the current session, etc. PowerOff has a simple interface; even an inexperienced user can set the settings to automatically turn off the computer.

Turning off the computer at a specified time is important when downloading heavy files. So, if the user downloads a file at a late time, so as not to leave the computer turned on all night, he sets parameters in the program. At the specified time, the system is activated and switched off.

If the computer does not respond to commands

If the computer is frozen and does not respond to hotkey commands, you need to press the on/off button on the laptop or system unit and hold it for several seconds. Unfortunately, this method does not guarantee the preservation of data, but it helps to get the computer into working condition.

Shalom everyone, friends. Just recently I went through interesting topics on the Internet to write another article. Not because there are no people of our own, but to awaken the muse, so to speak. And then I came across an interesting method that tells how to turn off computers connected via a local network. Let's say you are at school, college, or work, where there are probably a bunch of computers and they are all, as a rule, connected via a local network. With some simple manipulations, you can enter a couple of commands from one computer and turn off all the others. Not a bad prank, by the way.

Before this tidbit, I’ll write in general how to turn off the computer in order to make this article fatter.

How to turn off a computer running any OS

I think there is no need to explain how to turn off the computer through the Start menu of the operating system. Those who use operating systems based on the Linux kernel most likely also know how to do this. But I’ll explain anyway.

You click the Start menu, select the section "Shutdown" or an icon that means shutdown, like on Windows 10, and there you will find several options responsible for turning off the PC, rebooting, sleeping and hibernating.

There is an interesting point that many users are guilty of. Unscrupulous people turn off a computer or laptop using the shutdown button, which is responsible for a forced shutdown. But why do this? Do you really want to lose unsaved data? Over time, many programs may not start at all due to such manipulations. If your computer shuts down easily through Start, then do just that.

Why turn off the PC, no need

You all know about functions such as sleep mode and hibernation. At sleep mode The current state of the system is transferred to RAM, and the computer goes into a low-power mode, while you can very quickly wake the computer from sleep and continue working. Hibernation Mode even cooler. It transfers the current system state to the hard drive and the computer turns off completely, thereby consuming no energy at all. After switching on, everything returns to its original state. The disadvantage of this method is that it is created, which can take up quite a lot of space. Therefore, you must first take care of increasing the volume of the system partition, or increasing it using specialized software.

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Shutdown the computer using CTRL+ALT+DEL

A well-known key combination that, on modern operating systems, opens a special window from where you can get to the task manager, lock the system, exit it and turn off the computer.

On tablets, although there is no keyboard (although some still have one), you can hold down some keys to make this window appear.

You can also quickly lock Windows (if you have a password or PIN), which is done by pressing keys Win+L, and then turn off the PC.

Well, a well-known combination Alt+F4. I think there is no need to explain what it is.

You can create a shortcut on your desktop to turn off your computer, but I will not describe this method now. You can read about it in the article.

How to shut down a computer after a certain time from the command line and remotely

Now we come to the tasty morsel. In this part I will tell you how to turn off computers connected via a local network. Let's say you are a student or schoolboy and are sitting in a computer science lesson, and then you want to play pranks and turn off all the PCs in the class. What needs to be done for this?

First, make sure that a local network is actually organized between the computers. Launch a command prompt and enter the command:

arp –a

You will be presented with a list of devices associated with this computer. But this method is not particularly accurate. For example, for me it shows a modem, some kind of multimedia device, and even a connected smartphone. Therefore, we will use another option.

Go to the catalog "This computer" and on the left go to the section "Net". A message may appear at the top to enable sharing, confirm this.

Open the command line again, preferably as an administrator. By the way, the PowerShell utility works too, you can use it if you want. Enter this simple command:

shutdown –i

A window appears where you must add the computers you want to shut down (if they are not in the list), and then select any of the suggested actions: Reboot, shutdown, and unexpected shutdown. Select an item "Shutdown" and uncheck the option "Warn users about this".

We also uncheck "Scheduled Stop". After that, click OK and rejoice.

In addition, you can enter the command line to shut down the PC directly in the command line. Here's what it will look like:

shutdown -s -t 30 -m \PC-NAME

Instead of the number 30 (time in seconds), you can specify absolutely any value, or remove the “-t” variable altogether so that the computer turns off immediately. Instead of a name, you can enter the IP address of the PC you want to disconnect.

These are the kinds of things we can do on the command line, and that’s just the bare minimum. You can manipulate other people's PCs from a distance in any way you like. The main thing is that the actions are not illegal, but I don’t think that simply turning off the PC is such.