How to Set Shutdown Timer in Windows 11

Quick Tips

• To schedule a shutdown from the Windows search bar, type the following command, replacing ‘time’ with the number of seconds before the PC turns off: shutdown -s -f -t time
• Using hibernate is quicker than shutting down and restarting your PC. To do so, open the Power options, choose Sleep, and then select Hibernate.

Method 1: Set Auto Shutdown Using Task Scheduler

Task Scheduler is a built-in Windows OS app that can be used to schedule different chores. Here’s how to use it to schedule an auto shutdown on your PC.

Step 1: Type Task Scheduler in your Windows computer’s search bar and hit Enter.

Step 2: Under the Actions section, click Create Basic Task.

Step 3: Give the task a name and a description (optional), and click Next. For this tutorial, we’ll name the task Auto-Shutdown at 12 AM.

Step 4: Choose how often you want the task done (daily, weekly, monthly, or a one-time task) and click Next.

Step 5: Next, select a start date and the time you want your PC to shut down automatically.

Step 6: On the new window, select Start a program and tap the Next button.

Step 7: Click the Browse button from the subsequent menu.

Step 8: Navigate to the bottom of the page, select the shutdown application, and click Open.

Step 9: Type -s into the Add arguments (optional) box and click Next.

Step 10: Preview the auto shutdown task on the new window and click Finish.

Method 2: Use Command Prompt

You can use the Command Prompt menu to auto-shutdown a Windows PC. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu, type Command Prompt, and hit Enter.

Step 2: Enter the command below in the Command Prompt window. Replace XXXX with the number of seconds after which the computer shuts down.

shutdown -s -t XXXX -f

Step 3: You can also shut down the PC at a specific time. For instance, you can enter’ at 22.:30 shutdown /s’ to do so.

at time shutdown /s

Refer to our guide if the Command Prompt doesn’t open on your Windows PC.

Method 3: Create a Desktop Shortcut for Shutdown Timer

You can create a desktop shortcut if you don’t want to remember a specific auto-shutdown command. Here’s how.

Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and expand New from the context menu.

Step 2: Select Shortcut.

Step 3: Enter the following command and click Next. Replace XXXX with the number of seconds after which you want to shut down the PC:

shutdown -s -t XXXX

Type a name for the shortcut. Once done, tap the Finish button.

Windows will then create a desktop shortcut. You can double-click it to start the auto shutdown timer.