How to Set a Computer to Shut Down

You can set your computer to shut down on its own at a specific time. This can be helpful for anyone who occasionally wakes up to find his home computer has been running all night, or gets to work to find the computer didn't get shut down at quitting time the day before.

Instructions

How to Set a Computer to Shut Down (Windows XP)

1. Click the "Start" button, then click "Run."

2. Type the following into the "Open" box: shutdown.exe -s -t yyyy. Make sure you include the spaces.

3. Set the shut down time. In the "yyyy" field, type in the number of seconds you want to elapse before shutting down. For instance, one hour is 3600 seconds. Click "OK" to begin the countdown. Move the countdown box out of the way by dragging the title bar.

4. To cancel the auto shut down, type: shutdown.exe -a into the "Open" box.

How to Set a Computer to Shut Down (Windows Vista)

1. Click the "Start" button, then click "All Programs." Click "Accessories," then "System Tools," then "Task Scheduler."

2. Click "Create Basic Task" to the right of the task scheduler. Type in a name for the task and click "Next."

3. Set the shutdown time and click "Next." The setting offers a variety of shut down choices: daily, weekdays, etc. Fill in the other particulars of your shut down scheduling and click "Next."

4. Set up the scheduled task as a program. Click "Start A Program," then "Next." Type in "Shutdown" for the program/script.

5. Type: -f -s -t 0 into the "Add arguments" box exactly as it's shown, including all spaces. Click "Next." Click "Finish" on the box that appears to confirm and save the task scheduling.