Shut Down Your PC Using the Command Prompt

Start by pressing the Windows + R keys to open the Run window. From there, type “cmd” in the box and then select the “OK” button.

This will open the Command Prompt. Here, type shutdown /s .

Once you press Enter, a message will appear letting you know that Windows will shut down in less than a minute. You can select the “Close” button if you like, but this will not affect the shutdown process.

That’s all there is to it. Within the minute, your PC will shut down. There’s also a way of restarting your PC using the Command Prompt if that’s what you prefer.

RELATED: 34 Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for the Windows Command Prompt

Restart Your PC Using the Command Prompt

This process for restarting your PC is nearly identical to shutting down your PC, except you’ll use a slightly different command in the Command Prompt.

Open the Run window by pressing the Windows Key +R keys, type “cmd” in the box, and then select the “OK” button to open the Command Prompt.

Once in the Command Prompt, type shutdown /r .

Press the Enter key to proceed. Your PC will now begin the restart process within the next minute.

These are just two of the many different options for shutting down your Windows PC from the Command Prompt. To get a full list of shut down options available to you, type shutdown /? in the Command Prompt and then press Enter. A complete list of switches and respective descriptions will be displayed.