Well, here we go again. In addition to my How To Automatically Shut Down Your Windows XP Computer I showed how to set it up so you can use the ShutDown.exe command to schedule and automatically shut your Windows XP computer off. In my How To Automatically Shut Down Your Windows Vista Computer we stepped through the same idea. And now, here’s Windows 7. Guess what? Not too different. So let’s get going.
For this How To, I’m using Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC). Hopefully not too many changes between now and the final version of Windiows 7 changes in regards to running a scheduled task. Below is the first screen shot after I clicked on the Start button and Control Panel. You’ll find the Scheduled Tasks under System and Security.
Click on System and Security and you should see the Administrative Tool selections at the bottom of the control panel window. Click on Schedule Tasks and you’ll be presented with the screen below.
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The Task Scheduler is pretty much the same in Windows 7 as Windows Vista. The Task Scheduler can look intimidating but it’s not too bad. Just move forward. We are going to look at one task and not all the extra stuff in Task Scheduler.
In the Actions column on the right, click Create Basic Task…
You’ll see the following window and I’ve already filled in the Name and Description of our task.
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After clicking Next you’ll see the Task Trigger screen. We want to shut down our Windows 7 computer in the middle of the night, every night so we’ll pick Daily.
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The next screen you’ll see is the Start Date and Time screen.
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The following screen is the Action screen. Let’s Start a program.
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The next screen you’ll see is the Start a Program screen.
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And finally the Summary screen.
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Let’s take a look at our task in the Active Tasks list.
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Double-click the Task Name if you need to work with the settings.
Here’s the screen when the task fires off and starts to automatically shut down Windows 7. A window pops up telling us that Windows will shut down in less than a minute. You can click on the Close button but that will just close that window and Windows itself will continue to shut down.
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There’s quite a bit of detail with the shutdown.exe command and here is the output when you run the shutdown.exe /? command at the command prompt in Windows 7. It lists the choices of how you want to run the shutdown.exe command.
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There you have it. Now you can automatically shutdown your Windows 7 computer.
I have to say I like Windows 7 so far.
Do you really shut off your PC?
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I try to shut my main pc off once a week, all night long. Usually Saturday night or every other week. I run virus and spyware scans and clean things up – defrag, delete downloaded files I don’t think I’m going to use, etc.
I auto shut down PCs that I support for other folks in my life – my wife, my mother-in-law, etc. I run virus and spyware scans on those PCs every night they are on and then auto shut them down until those people turn them on. Which could be days.
Windows 7 is looking and acting a lot better than Vista.
I would rather recommend to use switch off soft. Or something like that instead of doing all these staff with windows 7.
@Hotelier: There’s plenty of way to do auto shutdowns and many anti-virus programs have that option after a scan is done as well as corporate software that “pushes” out instructions to the desktops to shut down at a certain time.
Thanks for stoppin’ by.
Thanks for the tutorial on how to automatically shut down my Windows 7. You said you’re uusing the Release Candidate for the tutorials. But what if there would be changes when the final version comes? Would it still be useful?
@EOPS: Yes this still works as of the RTM (Release to Manufacturing) version.
Don’t you think that this is easier just to use special software like Switch Off or just built-in features of AIMP or another player?
@Chuck: You bet. Anything that makes it easier for someone. The article walks through how to do it with just Windows. Thanks for stoppin’ by.
Thanks!! This is really helpful 😉
This is just what I was looking for, could not find it in any of the Windows 7 help files. Of course I never thought to search for something as simple as shutdown.exe.
Senior citizen and still learning.
@Jeff Shickele: Good to hear.
Wow, that’s a lot of information. I didn’t know there was a built in tool in Windows to automatically shut my computer down. Thanks.
Interesting stuff. I always wondered how people scheduled their computers to shutdown. Is there a way to automatically turn on computers? Now that seems kind of tough.
thank you for this.
since overclocking i have been unable to use the soft off options due to bsod or blank on resume(one common drawback of overclocking).
modified your plan to trigger after being idle for 30 minutes rather then on set schedule though.
Good piece of information. I have installed Windows 7 in my laptop and enjoying its services. I would like to know more about it only if you wish to share it.
It’s a good thing that your technique is still useful for the final version. Thanks for the tips.
hey thanks for sharing, now I can listen to my music on the computer on my way to lala land.
I just got my windows 7 in my computer, and I gotta admit, the features are so great and awesome. Thank you for the tutorial, but I was wondering, can you tell me how to save up powers in windows 7?
I usually throw my slipper into the power switch of my computer. I prefer this way.)))))
@Steve: That’s works too. 🙂
Thanks this works nice.
Is there a command to start up the computer at a certain time?
Nice tutorial. I would like to know about any software for automattic turn on and doing some task.
This is good tutorial however i prefer XP far better than Windows 7
Nice technique. I needed it badly. I wanted to schedule my pc shut down at night while putting huge files and movies on downloading. Thanks alot..Keep up the good work!!
Nice tip. I didn’t know this was built-in to Windows 7. Thanks a bunch.
This is awesome and works in a lot of versions of Windows…just a little different. Looks like you’ve covered the main version Windows here on your blog – Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Thanks.
I can’t remember where or exactly what the tools are called but there is a “Fast Shutdown” and “Fast Reboot” that are free out there somewhere and they work great when it’s time to shutdown or reboot while you’re sitting at your PC. Pretty cool. I’ll have to look for the link.
I had no clue this option existed. What a great idea and helpful tool. Thanks
this is funny! only now I get informed of this facility “shutdown.exe” hehehe!
thanks for sharing it. Adding it in scheduled tasks will also shut it down automatically… i guess.
Great pot man. thanx!
Greetz Joris
This works great and I didn’t even know Windows had this built in. Thanks.
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Windows 7 Shutdown Timer
I didn’t use the window 7 yet, i am happy with window XP. But i have bookmarked this informative article for my future, because I am planning to install the window 7.
Perfect, tanks
work…
this will have a valuable contribution to the system I am building.
when a certain condition is attained my system will shutdown or reboot and this process here will be used!
thanks a lot 🙂
Thanks! Worked for me…
Windows 7 is far better then windows Vista, that’s because Windows Vista was just a “beta” during the completion of Windows 7. Since Microsoft claimed that Windows 7’s release date was pushed forward and forward all the time they released Vista too calm the Windows users down abit, so they did not take the time too check Vista for bugs that carefully.
I also have Windows 7 and it works really great – a lot better than Vista.. This post was really interesting and underlines to me, that I just use a (very) small fraction of the possibilities you have with Windows 7.. Just never have the time to look into it.. 🙁
It is great to have the possibility to shut down you computer automatically at night, while laying in bed listening to music. So thanks!
Nice! Wondering if the opposite effect is also possible. Booting up computer at a set time.
I also came up with another post, similar to this kind on how-to-geek.com. this is the link. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/30758/make-your-pc-shut-down-at-night-but-only-when-youre-not-using-it/. This takes care of idle time, which is not there in your tip.
@TechLikes: Very good addition, thanks for point this out.
Thanks man…..
its really helpfull to me….
I set it to only turn off once at about 5:50am but its not in the task list…
Is it put in a temporary folder somewere? and if so, how do i find it?
Thanks
Nevermind its ok, i found it 🙂
I have written the whole topic. and I after read the blog. i am very impressed by the blog. Your first way of doing it is really useful for people that don’t really have programming skills.norwesco water tanks
Nice! I have been looking for a way to shutdown Windows 7 automatically. This would definitely be of great help. Thanks for sharing!