Automatic shutdown of Windows 10. How to set up a computer shutdown using a timer

Turning off a computer using a timer is a very typical task that many users face. However, not everyone knows how this problem can be solved. In this article we will talk about how to turn off your computer using a timer in Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP. To solve this problem we will use the command line, task scheduler and third-party programs.

Turn off the computer using a timer using the command line

The easiest and fastest way to shut down your computer on a timer is to use the “shutdown” command, which works equally well in Windows 7 and other versions of Windows. This command can be executed from the command line or using the Run menu.

The shutdown command has many parameters that allow you to fine-tune the process of shutting down your computer. Below we will look at the most basic of them:

/s – Shut down the computer;
/h – Switch to hibernation mode;
/f – Forces termination of all open programs without warning the user;
/t – Set the timer in seconds.

In order to shut down the computer using a timer using the shutdown command, we need to use the /s (shutdown the computer) and /t (set the timer) parameters. Thus, the command to turn off the computer will look like this:

Shutdown /s /t 60

After executing such a command through the Command Prompt or Run menu, the computer will shut down after 60 seconds.

If you want to reboot the computer using a timer, then instead of the /s parameter, you need to use the /r parameter. The same thing with hibernation mode. We use /h instead of /s and the computer, instead of turning on, will go into hibernation mode. You can also add the /f option. In this case, shutdown (reboot, hibernation) will begin immediately, and all running programs will be closed without warning the user.

The disadvantage of this method of shutting down the computer is that the shutdown task is created only for one time. If you need to turn off your computer on a timer daily, then you need to use Task Scheduler or third-party programs.

We use the scheduler to turn off the computer using a timer

Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP operating systems have a very powerful tool available called Task Scheduler. You can use it to turn off your computer using a timer. To open Task Scheduler, launch the Start menu (or Start screen with tiles if you're using Windows 8) and search for "Task Scheduler." You can also launch the Task Scheduler using the “taskschd.msc” command.

After starting the task scheduler, click on the “Create a simple task” button. This button is on the right side of the window.

Then we are asked to indicate when we want to complete this task. You can select "Once" if you want to timer off your computer only once. If you need to turn off your computer using a timer daily or in another mode, then you can choose another option that is more suitable for you.

At the next stage, you need to specify the triggering of this task.

After this, we need to enter the shutdown command as well as startup parameters. How the launch parameters of this command are used has already been discussed above.

That's it, the task to turn off the computer using a timer has been created. You can view it in the Assignment Library.

From the context menu (right mouse click) you can manage the created task.

You can run, complete, disable, delete, or open the job properties.

Programs for turning off the computer using a timer

If the described methods for turning off a computer using a timer do not suit you or seem too complicated, then you can turn off the computer using programs from third-party developers. Below we will look at several such programs.

A powerful free program to turn off your computer using a timer. Using the PowerOff program you can configure almost any little thing. On the other hand, due to the huge number of functions, the interface of this program is too overloaded. Which can be very difficult to figure out.

A small program to turn off your computer. The Switch Off program is equipped with a small number of functions and has an easy and intuitive interface. The program is equipped with a built-in web server that allows you to turn off your computer via a local network or via the Internet.

The developer of this program for turning off the computer using a timer claims to support only Windows 7, 8 and XP. Although it should work on Windows 10 without problems.

Users often encounter the auto-shutdown problem. It occurs when you need to download large files at night, when it is profitable to do this, since providers provide unlimited traffic at this time. If the download ends at three in the morning, then the computer is uselessly idle until the morning.

You may also need to turn off your computer when you are at work, for example at 11 pm or later. It may well be that you want to watch a movie in the evening, but it needs to be converted to another format. This task may take time. Then, before leaving for work, you launch the converter and a program that somehow instructs the computer to turn off after a certain time.

Some programs that run for a long time have a function to shut down the computer, but unfortunately, not all. Here we will look at how to solve this problem, first using the operating system itself. It's very simple.

How to set a sleep timer using Windows

Windows 10 has a shutdown utility that can be launched from the command line. This program is included in the system out of the box; you don’t need to search for or install it. You can use this method at any time if you have administrator rights, and for any home user this is always the case. The command itself in this case looks like this:

shutdown -s -t 3600

shutdown /s /t 3600

and means the computer turns off after an hour (the time is indicated in seconds. To make it clearer, let’s look at a practical example of shutting down using shutdown. You don’t have to rack your brains, it’s all very simple.

Let's say that in the evening you gave your computer the task of downloading large files. Knowing the size of the files and the speed of your network, you confidently expect that everything will be ready at three in the morning. Someone needs to turn off the computer. But at this time you will be sleeping and do not want to be disturbed. Then you need to do the following.

Look at the clock:

Since the shutdown utility requires time in seconds, there is a slight inconvenience. We need to solve a small arithmetic problem. It's a quarter past ten, or twenty-two fifteen in military style. It's four full hours and another forty-five minutes until three o'clock in the morning. You need to calculate the number of minutes and convert it to seconds:

We set the shutdown after the calculated number of seconds. To do this, in the Start menu, find the command processor cmd.exe and run this program. A command line window will appear and we are ready to start the timer. Let's enter the command name and specify the keys. The /s switch (or -s as in Unix) tells the computer to shut down. If you want to put it into hibernation mode while saving the session, then just use h (from the word hibernate) instead of s.

The /t (time) switch indicates the delay time, in our case it is 17100 seconds. If we hesitate a little, the computer will turn off a little later, but this does not matter in this case.

It must be said that the same thing could be done using the Windows Task Scheduler by adding a new task to its schedule. But this way is unlikely to be better, even if it saves us from counting time. You will have to click the mouse several times more, and in the end, everything will come down to calling the same shutdown -s, only without specifying the time (it is already known to the scheduler).

Another way to solve the problem on the command line:

at 3:00 shutdown -s

The task will appear in the scheduler. What could be simpler? Unfortunately, the at command is not considered safe because it can be used to schedule unexpected actions. But a home user has nothing to worry about if his system is protected by a firewall and antivirus software.

How to disable auto shutdown

If for some reason you decide to do without auto shutdown, then this is also very easy to do. We cancel the existing task with the command:

shutdown -a

shutdown/a

We proceed similarly to the previous section, launch cmd.exe and issue the appropriate command in its window. The task is canceled and the computer will not turn off, but will continue to work as if nothing had happened.

Review of programs for auto-shutdown of the computer

Surprisingly, many users still have some kind of superstitious fear of the command line. For them, software developers create windowed applications that do the same thing, but from a graphical interface. Such utilities can also have a number of conveniences, for example, not just setting the number of seconds, but indicating the time, which, of course, is noticeably more convenient for users.

Ultimately, they also need to be configured to turn off the PC in the desired manner and at the right time. The PowerOff program is quite popular, but not among those who like simplicity. This program has many functions, but also a rather confusing interface with seven tabs.

If your task is only to turn off the computer at a given time, then you can easily do this using uSleepTimer. This very simple program requires you to specify the time AFTER which you need to turn off the computer. Another inconvenience.

The OffTimer program is very simple and requires you to specify the time at which the computer should be turned off. It's very convenient. Unfortunately, it shuts down the machine without saving application data. But it is better for the user to decide for himself. If he is confident that his task will be solved by the specified time, then he can be calm.

The SM Timer utility does the same as the previous one, but allows you to choose between IN and THROUGH. The time can be set using the sliders or by clicking on the “up” or “down” buttons. This and the two previous utilities do not require installation due to their simplicity. There are a lot of similar programs on the Internet. They help users who want to use computers but are not at all interested in them and want to get solutions to their problems in the simplest ways.

If you need to turn off your computer at a certain time when you won't have access to it, you can use a timer. Not everyone knows that Microsoft programmers equipped Windows 10 with a timer, but third-party programs can also be used to turn off the PC.

There are several ways to start the shutdown timer on your computer, depending on which option suits you best.

Windows tools

You can turn off the device using the standard options.

Using the Run window

This method is suitable for Windows 7, 8 and 10. For this, there is a special command that will turn off the PC after a certain time:

After the specified time, the computer will turn off as standard, closing and saving information in all programs. If you need to force an exit from the OS, add the following parameter to the command: -f.

Healthy! To cancel the command, enter: shutdown –a

Creating a shortcut or bat file

To avoid entering a command every time, create a shortcut or bat file that launches it.

Label

bat file

In command country

In the task scheduler

Special programs

You can turn off your computer at a certain time using special programs, not just Windows tools.

Last Task

AIMP

Computer power and shutdown button

There are times when it is necessary for the computer to turn off automatically after some time. For example, you set a large program to download, but you cannot wait for the download to finish. It is at this point that a function that allows you to set a timer to indicate when the system will have to shut down on its own comes in handy. The article will look at both standard methods of setting a timer, which exist in Windows 10 by default, and creating it using third-party applications.

How to set a timer to turn off the computer using standard means

First, let's look at ways to set a timer without installing third-party programs. There will be four equally easy options to choose from.

By executing the command

Create a shortcut

If you have to frequently resort to using a timer, then follow these steps:

Command line

Creating a task for automatic shutdown

In the Windows operating system, there is a program that allows you to set and cancel tasks assigned to the system. This program, called Task Scheduler, can be used to create a timer by following these steps:

Using the Windows search bar, open Run.
In the window that opens, write and run the command taskschd.msc.
In the right block of the window of the “Task Scheduler” program, which is called “Actions,” click on the “Create a simple task” button.
We give our task a clear name so that we can find it in the future.
We choose how often the created task will be executed.
We set a time frame within which the task will be completed.
Select the task type “Run a program”.
We indicate the path to the program that is the timer: C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe.
We specify the argument –s. You can enable forced shutdown by adding another -f argument.
We check the correctness of the specified data and save the task.

Possible problems

There may be several reasons why the Windows shutdown timer does not work: the command or its arguments were written incorrectly, you are logged in with a Windows account that does not have administrator rights, the shutdown program is not installed on your computer for some reason, it was removed from it or does not work correctly. First, try restarting your computer and running all the above commands again. If this does not help, then the best way out of this situation is to use third-party programs for setting a timer, which will be discussed in the next paragraph.

Third-party timer programs

If for some reason the methods described above for setting a timer do not suit you, then you can use one of the following programs from third-party developers.

You can download the free version of the program from the official website of the developer by clicking on the following link - http://www.wisecleaner.com/wise-auto-shutdown.html. The advantages of the program are that it is completely translated into Russian, and also has a simple and beautiful design.

To create a timer using this program, follow these steps:

Airytec Switch Off for PC

You can download the application from the official developer for free - http://www.airytec.com/ru/switch-off/. The program opens in a small window and creates quick access icons on the computer panel. The application has four operating modes:

You can create a task that will turn off the computer under certain conditions, and also restart it, put it into sleep mode, or disconnect all existing Internet connections. By checking the box, you can activate a forced shutdown of the computer, which closes all applications, regardless of whether their contents are saved or not.

In the program settings, you can select the language and method of notification about the upcoming task you have set.

The simplest application of all presented in this article. It has a minimum of settings and the most simple design. You can download it from the following official website - http://maxlim.org/files_s109.html.

So, the computer shutdown timer is set in Windows by default and allows you to create a task due to which the system will automatically shut down or reboot under certain conditions. But this program may not work; in this case, you can use third-party applications, some of which have a larger set of timer settings, while others have a simpler design that allows you to create a task in two clicks.