Hello everybody!
In this video, I’m going to show you how to set a shutdown timer in a Windows operating
system.
I’ll show you several methods good for Windows 10, 8 and 7.
Today many programs have the function of shutting down the computer automatically when a certain
task is completed, but some of them don’t.
That’s why the time control function can be necessary in various situations.
For example, you need to leave your workplace but there are processes still running on your
computer, and you can’t stop them.
In this case, you can set a timer to shut down the computer automatically after a certain
time period.
In this video, I’ll show you how to do it.
Set the timer with the Run tool Let’s start with an all-purpose method which
is good for all versions of the operating system beginning with Windows 7 - the “shutdown”
command and the Run tool.
All you need to do is to open the tool and enter the command.
To open it, press the key shortcut Win+R and in the window that opens, type the command
“shutdown -s -t” and the period of time in seconds, after which you need the computer
to turn off.
For example, 7200, which is equal to two hours, then press Enter or OK.
After that, you’ll see a warning saying that “You are about to be signed out.
Windows will shut down in 120 minutes.
All programs will be closed and the computer will be turned off.
When the shutdown time period is less than ten minutes (600) seconds, the warning will
be shown on the desktop.
When you enter the command “shutdown -s -t 600”, you will see such a message.
To enable restart after a certain time period, just change the letter “s” into “r”
and set the required time period.
A message in the notification center will show you the exact time before the computer
restarts.
To cancel the scheduled shutdown or restart, type the command “shutdown -a”, and when
you run it, you’ll see the message saying “Logout is cancelled.
The scheduled shutdown has been cancelled.”
Create a shortcut for shutdown timer If you’re going to use the shutdown timer
regularly, you can put a shortcut onto the desktop, for convenience.
Right-click here and select New / Shortcut.
In the line “Type the location for the item” enter the same command and the required time,
for example, “shutdown -s -t 3600” and then click Next, type the name and click Finish
- that’s all, the shortcut is created.
It will appear on the desktop and every time you need to set the timer, just double-click
on it.
To cancel the shutdown, you can also create a shortcut with the corresponding command
- “shutdown –a.”
You can pin the shortcut to the taskbar by right-clicking on it and selecting this option,
or delete if you don’t need it any longer.
To make the shortcut easy to recognize, you can set a corresponding icon for it by right-clicking
on it and selecting Properties.
Then go to the tab Shortcut and click on Change Icon.
In the window that opens select one of the suggested variants or choose your own one
by clicking on Browse and specifying the path.
Then click OK and Apply.
If you want to set a different time, go to the same Properties window and find the line
Target to change it for the data you need.
Set the timer with a .bat file Or, create a bat file; when you run it, you
will see a request to set the time period after which the computer should be turned
off.
I’ve already shown you how to create a .bat file in the video on Task Manager; find the
link in the description as usual.
Type the following code: echo off
cls set /p timer_off="Vvedite vremya v sekundah:
" shutdown -s -t %timer_off%
and save the file.
When you run it, the command prompt will open: you will have to enter the necessary time
period after which the computer should be turned off; give the time in seconds and press
Enter.
After that you will see a warning saying that you’ll be signed out after the specified
time.
Set the timer with Task Scheduler Another method uses Task Scheduler to turn
off the computer.
To use it, open the Run tool by pressing the key shortcut Win+R, and in the window that
opens, type taskschd.msc and click OK to start Task Scheduler.
In the Scheduler window, go to Action / Create Basic Task...
. Give the task a corresponding name and click “Next.”
In this window you can decide when the task will run.
If you want to set up your computer to switch off every day at a definite time, you can
choose “Daily” and then specify the exact shutdown time, or choose any other variant
from the options.
In my case, I choose “One time” and then specify the date and exact shutdown time,
then click “Next.”
The line “Start a program” must be checked; Next.
In the line “Program/script” enter the command “shutdown” and in the line “Add
arguments” give the parameter “-s.”
Then click Next to confirm your choice.
In the Summary page check all parameters you entered and click Finish to complete task
creation.
Now the computer will shutdown automatically at the definite date and time.
These are standard methods to set a shutdown timer for a computer offered by the integrated
tools within Windows operating system, and you can use them anytime.
Third-party apps Also, there are lots of third-party apps to
turn off your computer at a definite time.
But before downloading, check them for viruses, for example, with the VirusTotal service,
because such software may not have an official website for download, and it may contain viruses.
To check a link with this service, right-click on the link, select “Copy”, go to VirusTotal
website, paste the link in the field, and then click Search or Scan.
For convenience, you can download an extension with this service for your browser.
Visit out channel for a detailed video about useful browser extensions; find the link in
the description.
One of the most popular and easy-to-use utilities to turn off the computer is Switch Off.
You can download it from the official website by following the link below this video.
When you install and run the program, its icon will appear in the system tray; by clicking
on it, you’ll be able to set the schedule, choose the date, time and action, and if necessary,
a warning to appear before shutdown.
Click “Enable Task”, and the computer will switch off at the definite time.
That is all for now.
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Thank you for watching.
Good luck.