Task Scheduler : Create Shut Down PC Automatically Task

How to Create a Task that will Shut Down the PC Automatically​

This will show a very easy way to create a task in the Task Scheduler that will shut down the PC whenever you like. This will work for Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
Let's get started!
1) In the Windows start menu search box type "Task Scheduler" (without the quotes) right click the entry and select "Run as Administrator" then enter your user credentials for the UAC prompt and click "Yes" to open the Task Scheduler.
click an image to enlarge


2) In the left pane of Task Scheduler, click on Task Scheduler Library, then in the "Actions" menu in the right pane click on Create Task.

3) In the Create Task window under the General tab, set a name and description for the task then dot "Run whether user is logged on or not" then put a check/tick at "Run with highest privileges", be sure to set the "Configure for:" for your flavor of Windows, then continue on to #4 below.

4) Now at the Actions tab at the lower left click "New", in the "New Action" dialog box leave "Action" set at "Start a program" at "Program/script:" type shutdown.exe then at "Add arguments" type /s /f (take note of the space between the /s and /f) then click OK.


5) Now at the Triggers tab at the lower left click "New" in the "New Trigger" dialog box set the parameters that you want for the task, as everyone's needs will be different, I just highlighted a few of the ones that need to be set to give some ideas.


6) After you have the Triggers set click "OK", you will then be prompted to enter your user credentials one last time and then click "OK" to finish creating the task. That's it the task has been created, at "File" click "Exit" to close the Task Scheduler.

   Note

Be sure to have a look at the "Conditions" tab if you need to add any parameters that must be met before the task is able to run.

Should the PC be in use at the scheduled shutdown time you will get a dialog box stating that you are about to be logged off.

Enjoy!

Related Tutorials

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• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61294-shut-down-computer-shortcut-create.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/717-shut-down-speed-up.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/67503-task-create-run-program-startup-log.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/12444-task-scheduler-create-new-task.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/76344-task-scheduler-put-computer-into-standby-mode.html
• How to Create a Task to Wake up the Computer to Run in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Allow or Prevent Users and Groups to Shut Down the Computer​
• How to See the Last Shutdown Time of Your Windows PC​
  
  
  
  
  ​
• How to Display a Message Reminder in Windows with Task Scheduler
  
  
  

 

[derekimo]

Nice work Ted, easy to follow too!

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks Derek!

 

[A Guy]

Very nice Ted, you do good work. A Guy

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Very nice Ted, you do good work. A Guy

Thank you!

 

[Dave76]

Great work Ted, well done

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks Dave, I'm pleased you find it useful.

 

[sonshi]

hi Bare Foot Kid:

Is there a way to make pc auto restart using the same method?

 

[Brink]

Hello Sonshi, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes. You could use the same tutorial, but just substitute the arguments in step 4 with /R instead to restart the computer.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[sonshi]

Thank you Blink.

I did exactly that. And it work. except that I needed to type my login password to start Windows.

Windows needs user password in order to use run Task Scheduler and password is again needed to login.

How can I solve this?

 

[Brink]

Thank you Blink.

I did exactly that. And it work. except that I needed to type my login password to start Windows.

Windows needs user password in order to use run Task Scheduler and password is again needed to login.

How can I solve this?

Sonshi,

You're welcome. Unfortunately, it only restarts the computer. By default, you are taken to the log in screen whenever you restart the computer before Windows will start. The only way around this is if you set Windows 7 to log on automatically to a user account of your choice at startup. This of course would be a problem if you have multiple users on the computer. If not, then it may be an option for you.

 

[alikhan]

I have created a task in task scheduler but now i wanted to make changes for it .How to do it,cause i can't see the task i created in the task scheduler menu.icnic:
Help needed .......

 

[Brink]

Hello Ali Khan,

Click on the Task Scheduler Library folder in the left pane to see if you see the task's name listed in the middle pane.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[alikhan]

Thanks shawn i got that working ,
But during shutdown the computer went to the log on screen and was asking for password there.Is there any way i can disable that option ? I have chosen a option to shutdown when the pc is idle for more then an hour.
Because at night sometimes i leave my laptop switch on and i want it to shut down automatically and not ask for the password .

 

[Brink]

Sounds like a mistake may have been made while creating the task. Did you use your administrator account and password while creating the task? You might delete the task and start over to see how it goes this round.

 

[bobdawson]

Arguments explanation on shut down task

I was looking on the Microsoft website to find out about the arguments entered in the tutorial.

Am a Mac user, but have a Windows 7 computer connected to an imagesetter at a daily newspaper.
I have set the BIOS to start up every day, but need a task to run a shut down on the weekends, when we aren't here to shut it down manually.
I wanted to check out the /s and /f before entering this on the computer in the task manager - I am cautious when entering something I don't understanD

You had entered /s and /f.
But the Microsoft website chart shows -s as shutdown, and I can't find a -f argument explanation on their site at all.

Here is there sampling of their chart
Shut down
shutdown
-s
Restart
shutdown
-r
Log off
shutdown
-l


Can you tell me:

1) Why the you have /s and they have -s?
Does it matter which you use?

2) If -s or /s means shutdown,
What does -f or /f stand for.

Thank you
Bob

 

[Brink]

Hello Bob, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Q1) You could use - or /. It doesn't matter.

Q2) S = shutdown, and F = force

 

[bobdawson]

So the /s means the shutdown command and the /f is to proceed with shutdown - would this be the equivalent of clicking an option in the resulting dialogue box that would appear - for example clicking OK or proceed with shutdown?

Thanks in advance for your help
Bob

 

[Brink]

The F would be to force it to shutdown.

If you ever shut down your PC and had it hang for a bit before it shutdown or ask you to force a program to close before it shutdown, then this is what F is for. It forces the shut down without delay.

 

[bradleypj]

How about this scenario? We currently shutdown all computers at 8:00pm with no problem. However, I want to be able to have the computers install any updates, if there are any, and then shutdown. How can I do that?