If you prefer PowerShell over Command Prompt, you can use a cmdlet in this utility to shut down your PC. To do that, access Windows Search, type PowerShell, and select “Run as Administrator.” Select “Yes” in the User Account Control prompt.

On the PowerShell window, type the following cmdlet. Here, replace “seconds” until the shutdown time. Then, press Enter.

Start-Sleep -Seconds seconds; Stop-Computer

For example, to shut down your PC in five minutes, run the following cmdlet:

Start-Sleep -Seconds 300; Stop-Computer

To cancel a scheduled shutdown, run the following cmdlet:

shutdown /a

Configuration Issues: These are issues where new commands have been set or old ones modified and it had an adverse affect on the computer. This can usually be resolved by finding the wrong or modified command or setting and either changing it to one that works or revert it back to its original state.

Boot options using the Boot tab

This tab gives you many options for starting up the computer. The top portion of the window contains the start-up file that the computer is using. If there are multiple boot partitions on the computer, you see each listed here. You can change the timeout value for the boot menu. You can clearly see what commands the boot manager is using, to see if there are any issues.

Two of the three buttons provided in this window are for editing purposes and are unavailable by default. There are two options down the side of the page:

Make all boot settings permanent:

Changes made in System Configuration are not tracked. If you want to make changes later, you have to do so manually. Use this feature with caution!

Timeout field:

Using MSCONFIG can cause the operating system selection screen to display for 30 seconds. As a result, 30 seconds are added to the overall startup time. To prevent the operating selection screen from appearing for 30 seconds on startup, change the timeout line in the Timeout field to zero.

The only button that is not unavailable under the Boot tab, is the Advanced Options. Clicking the Advanced Options button brings up the Boot Advanced Options dialog box. Usually you do not use these options, but they can come in handy. Such as if you suspect that a boot issue is being caused by having multiple processors. You can limit the number of processors used to boot the computer by selecting the Number of Processors check box and specifying a number.

In Windows 10 and 11 you can press the Windows + R keys together and a run box appears.

1. • Alternatively, pressing the windows key or clicking the start button opens the start menu and you can type MSCONFIG and the application is shown in a list.
   • 
2. Type MSCONFIG in the box and then press the ENTER key on your keyboard.
3. 
4. This launches the Microsoft System Configuration Utility
5. The MSCONFIG window contains five tabs:
6. 

• • Boot
  • Services
  • Startup
  • Tools

• Boot Issues: These are issues where the computer is either having trouble loading correctly, is taking a long time to boot or is giving errors on-screen as it starts up. It can even be a combination of the three. First we identify the issue, narrow down the cause and then change it to resolve the problem.

The General tab

The MSCONFIG General tab gives you some basic options for starting your device. The default choice for the utility is Normal Startup. The other two options for starting the computer are Diagnostic Startup and Selective Startup.

Diagnostic Startup:

This starts Windows with basic services and drivers only. With this mode, you can determine if a basic Window file is the problem. This type of startup gives you a minimum environment for troubleshooting.

Selective Startup:

This allows you to choose which programs and services you want to open and which ones you want to keep from opening at startup.

If you detect that one of the launch programs is causing a problem at startup, then you can clear the Load Startup Items. It prevents any startup program from launching. This is too general to help you determine which program is causing the problem, but it helps you narrow down the issue to a certain area.

1. Sign in to the computer as an administrator. If you don’t have an administrator account, see Manage user accounts in Windows to learn how to create one.
2. In the Search box  on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the list of results.
   

   Important: If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might prevent you from following these steps. Only use the System Configuration utility to change the advanced boot options on the computer with guidance from a Microsoft support engineer.  Using the System Configuration utility might make the computer unusable.

3. On the Services tab of System Configuration, select Hide all Microsoft services, and then select Disable all. Select Apply.
   
4. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select Open Task Manager.
   
5. On the Startup tab in Task Manager, for each Enabled startup item, select the item and then select Disable. (Keep track of which items have been Disabled. You will need to know this later)
6. Close Task Manager.
7. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select OK. When you restart the computer, it will be in a clean boot environment. You can now try to troubleshoot your problem by trying the troubleshooting steps in the section, install, uninstall, or run application.

   Warning: Your computer might temporarily lose some functionality while in a clean boot environment.

1. Sign in to the computer as an administrator. See Manage user accounts in Windows to learn more about configuring a user account as an administrator.
2. Select Search, type msconfig, and then select System Configuration from the list of results.
   
   

   Important: If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might prevent you from following these steps. Only use the System Configuration utility to change the advanced boot options on the computer with guidance from a Microsoft support engineer.  Using the System Configuration utility might make the computer unusable.

3. On the Services tab of System Configuration, select Hide all Microsoft services, and then select Disable all. Select Apply.
   
4. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select Open Task Manager.
   
5. On the Startup apps tab in Task Manager, for each Enabled startup item, select the item and then select Disable. (Keep track of which items have been Disabled. You will need to know this later.)
6. Close Task Manager.
7. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select OK. When you restart the computer, it will be in a clean boot environment. You can now try to troubleshoot your problem by trying the troubleshooting steps in the section,install, uninstall, or run on application

   Warning: Your computer might temporarily lose some functionality while in a clean boot environment.

8. Once you are done troubleshooting your problem and want to return your computer to a normal startup, follow the steps in the section, Reset the computer after the clean boot.

To enable MAC address filtering, you need to you know your router’s admin login, as this enables you to log in to the WiFi router console. Once logged in as an admin, you can configure your MAC address whitelists and blacklists.

To locate your router’s username and password, check the back of your router. It should be listed there. If, however, you don’t have easy access to your router or the credentials aren’t listed there, check the master list of router logins to find your system’s username and password. You can reset you’re router password if necessary.

Once you’re logged in, you will likely see connected devices in the admin console. Most modern routers display the physical address of devices there. Then, you can go into the router’s settings and enter the MAC addresses where they belong. Though each router will have a slightly different procedure for entering and finalizing MAC address filters, this is the general process that you’ll follow.

• To configure filtering on a Linksys router once you’ve reached the router’s settings, go to Wireless > Wireless MAC Filter.
• To configure filtering on a Netgear router once you’ve reached the router’s settings, go to Advanced > Security > Access Control.
• If you have a D-Link router, navigate to Advanced > Network Filter.

Again, the process for disabling media access control address filtering will vary by router or system. However, the general process for disabling MAC address filtering is as follows:

1. Sign into your router’s administrator page using your router’s username and password
2. Check the MAC filter settings and select Allow as the default mode
3. Select all devices from the list of exceptions, which is the whitelist
4. Delete the list.

Once you disable MAC filtering, your router will no longer sort traffic based on permitted and denied addresses.

Adding a new user account on a Mac allows multiple users to have their own customized environment:

1. Open System Preferences:
   • Click on the Apple menu in the top left corner and select “System Preferences.”
2. Go to Users & Groups:
   • In the System Preferences window, click on “Users & Groups.”
3. Unlock the Settings:
   • Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner and enter your administrator password to make changes.
4. Add a New User:
   • Click the “+” button below the list of users.
5. Choose Account Type:
   • Select the type of account you want to create (Standard, Administrator, Managed with Parental Controls, or Sharing Only).
6. Enter User Information:
   • Enter the new user’s full name, account name, and password.
   • Optionally, you can add a password hint.
7. Create the Account:
   • Click “Create User” to add the new account.
8. Set Up the Account:
   • Log out of your account and log in to the new user account to set it up.
   • Follow the setup assistant to configure the user’s preferences.
9. Customize User Settings:
   • Customize the new user’s desktop, applications, and other settings as needed.
10. Set Up Parental Controls (if applicable):
    • If the account is for a child, set up parental controls by selecting the user and clicking “Open Parental Controls”.
11. Manage Accounts:
    • Return to “Users & Groups” to manage user accounts, change passwords, or delete accounts as needed.