Windows 10 may not offer you a native one-click solution for scheduling an automatic shutdown, but you can still enable that option without much technical knowledge. We have already covered how you can Schedule automatic shutdown in Windows 10 Using the task scheduler. And today, we will show you how to shut down your Windows 10 PC automatically with a timer.
Turn off your Windows 10 computer with the timer
In this article, we explain how you can use a command prompt or third-party app to shut down your Windows 10 computer. This feature will come in handy if you want to control your kids’ gaming or turn off your PC automatically when you turn off a watch Netflix Movie. Both methods come with their own advantages, so you need to test both for yourself to see which one best fits your needs. So let’s get started without any more chit-chat.
1. Schedule a shutdown using the command prompt
The easiest way to schedule a shutdown in Windows 10 is to use a command prompt. Here’s how the process works:
- First, open the Command prompt In admin mode on your Windows 10 computer. To do this, search for ‘cmd’ in the Windows search bar and click ‘Run as administrator.
- Now type-in
shutdown -s -t [seconds]At the terminal and press Enter. Confirm replacement [seconds] With the actual number of seconds you want to stay ‘on’ before you turn off your PC.
Note:: For my demo, I chose 1800 seconds, which will turn off my PC in 30 minutes. If you want a 10-minute timer you can type 600, if you want a half-hour timer, 1800, and so on…
- To cancel the shutdown timer, you can use the following command:
shutdown -a, Where ‘a’ means ‘abort’. You will receive a notification that the shutdown has been canceled.
Note:: You can restart your PC using “r” instead of “s” in the initial command. The command will look like this:shutdown -r -t [seconds]
2. Schedule a shutdown using the desktop shortcut
You can use a desktop shortcut to automatically shut down your Windows 10 PC using a timer. For that, you can use the same command as before, but wrap it in a shortcut. It will give you the to Activate the shutdown timer at any time with a simple double click And every time, scratch around with a command prompt instead. Follow the steps below:
- To create a shortcut, The right choice is A free area on your desktop. Using the relevant menu that appears, go to New -> Shortcuts.
- The ‘Create shortcuts‘The wizard will open now. Type-in or copy and paste the previous command:
shutdown -s -t [seconds]And click Next. Be sure to choose a deadline that is most appropriate for your needs. I am using 300 seconds (5 minutes) for demo purposes. You can create multiple shortcuts with different timers for later use.
- Hold the default name for the shortcut (shortcut.exe) or input one, such as shutdown-5min.exe, to make it easier for you to identify the timer. Finally, click on ‘finish to create a shutdown timer shortcut on your Windows 10 desktop. You can double-click on it at any time to start the countdown timer.
Note:: You can cancel the scheduled shutdown using “ShutdownCommand at the command prompt. Creating a shortcut to turn off the timer can also come in handy.
3. Third-Party App: Shutdown Timer Classic
You can also use third-party utilities to schedule shutdown using a timer in Windows 10. Shutdown timer classic‘, Found in both GitHub And Windows Store. You can even download a portable version, which means you don’t have to install it on your system. The application has an intuitive GUI that ensures that you do no math (no need to translate from minutes or hours to seconds) to set the shutdown timer every time.
Shutdown Timer Classic allows you to Select between all the standard Windows shutdown options including restart, hibernate, slip, logout and lock. You can also specify whether to force the app to close.
Once the countdown has started, you will find a prominent timer on the desktop. This will ensure that you know how much time you have before your system shuts down, giving you enough time to save your work. You can close the timer window and cancel the shutdown at any time.
Use a timer to automatically shut down your Windows 10 PC
You don’t need a daily timer to shut down your Windows 10 PC, but as you can see, you have that option if needed. If you like this neat little strategy, check out more Windows 10 tips and tricks, Where you can learn more about such features. Also, check out how you can improve your multitasking skills by Splitting the screen in Windows 10 In different apps. Finally, learn how Password protected files and folders in Windows 10, How to Find the saved Wi-Fi password, And how to Disable the lock screen In Windows 10.