Schedule Computer Shutdown using Task Scheduler

If you want to shut down your computer at a certain time or in the night, you have to schedule the shutdown using Task Scheduler. There are many possible reasons for you to schedule the shutdown like you don’t want to wait until the download completes in the night, so what you do instead is you schedule the shutdown after 3-4 hours then you sleep peacefully. This saves you a lot of trouble, for example, a video file is rendering, and you need to leave for work then the scheduled shutdown comes in handy.

Schedule Computer Shutdown using Task Scheduler

Now there is another method with which you could easily delay the shutdown of your PC, but that is a little complicated, so it’s better to use Task Scheduler. To give you hint the method uses the command Shutdown /s /t 60 in cmd window and the 60 is the time in seconds by which the shutdown is delayed. So without wasting any time, let’s see How to Schedule Automatic Computer Shutdown with the help of the below-listed guide.

How to Schedule Computer Shutdown using Task Scheduler

Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.

1. Press Windows Key + R then type taskschd.msc and hit Enter to open Task Scheduler.

press Windows Key + R then type Taskschd.msc and hit Enter to open Task Scheduler

2. Now, from the right-hand window under Actions, click on Create Basic Task.

Now from the right-hand window under Actions click on Create Basic Task

3. Type any name and description you want in the field and click Next.

Type any name and description you want in the field and click Next | Schedule Computer Shutdown using Task Scheduler

4. On the next screen, set when you want the task to start, i.e. daily, weekly, monthly, one time etc. and click Next.

Set when do you want the task to start i.e. daily, weekly, monthly, one time etc and click Next

5. Next set the Start date and time.

Set the Start date and time

6. Select “Start a program” on the Action screen and click Next.

Select Start a program on the Action screen and click Next | Schedule Computer Shutdown using Task Scheduler

7. Under Program/Script either type “C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe” (without quotes) or browse to the shutdown.exe under the above directory.

Browse to shutdown.exe under System32

8.On the same window, under “Add arguments (optional)” type the following and then click Next:

/s /f /t 0

Under Program or Script browse to shutdown.exe under System32

Note: If you want to shut down the computer say after 1 minute then type 60 in place of 0, similarly if you want to shut down after 1 hour then type 3600. This is also an optional step as you have already selected the date & time to start the program so you could leave it at 0 itself.

9. Review all the changes you have done until now, then checkmark “Open the Properties dialog for this task when I click Finish” and then click Finish.

Checkmark Open the Properties dialog for this task when I click Finish

10. Under the General tab, tick the box which says “Run with highest privileges“.

Under the General tab, tick the box which says Run with highest privileges

11. Switch to the Conditions tab and then uncheck Start the task only if the computer is on AC power“.

Switch to the Conditions tab and then uncheck Start the task only if the computer is on AC power

12. Similarly, switch to the Settings tab and then checkmark “Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed“.

Checkmark Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed

13. Now your computer will shut down at the date & time you selected.

Note: If you want more options or want to know more about this command, then open command prompt type shutdown /? and hit Enter. If you want to restart your PC, use the /r parameter instead of the /s parameter.

Use shutdown command in cmd to get more arguments or help | Schedule Computer Shutdown using Task Scheduler

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That’s it you have successfully learned How to Schedule Computer Shutdown using Task Scheduler but if you still have any queries regarding this guide then feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.

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