Shut Down a Computer Using Notepad

Notepad, Windows' free text editor, is also a competent code editing program. You can use some simple Windows commands in Notepad to create a file that will shut down your computer when you run it. This is great if you want to save some clicks for future shut downs, or you want to play a prank on a friend.

Steps

  1. Open Notepad. This is the free text editing program that comes with every version of Windows. You can use it to create a command that, when run, will shut down Windows for you.
    • You can find Notepad by clicking the Start menu and selecting "Programs" → "Accessories" → "Notepad". You can also click the Start menu, type notepad, and press ↵ Enter.
  2. Type .shutdown.exe -s on the first line. This is the command to shut down the computer.
  3. Add a timer by using the .-t flag. By default, the shutdown process will be delayed by 30 seconds. You can change this by using the -t gflag with the number of seconds you want to delay.
    • For example, to create a shutdown command that waits 45 seconds, type shutdown.exe -s -t 45.
    • To create a shutdown command that shuts the computer down immediately, type shutdown.exe -s -t 00.
  4. Add a message to be displayed. If you want, you can add a personalized message to the shut down notice by using the -c flag. Using the above example, type shutdown.exe -s -t 45 -c "comment". The comment must be in quotes.[1]
    • For example, you can let the user know how long until the shutdown begins by typing shutdown.exe -s -t 45 -c "Computer will shut down in 45 seconds".
  5. Click "File" and select "Save As". You will need to save the file as a batch file, which Windows can execute to run the shutdown command.
  6. Click the "Save as type" drop-down menu and select "All Files (*.*)". This will allow you to change the file type.
  7. Delete the ..txt from the end of the file name. Replace it with .bat.
    • If you don't see the three letter file extensions, Show-File-Extensions-in-Windows.
  8. Save the file. A new copy will be created with the .bat extension, and it will have a different icon than a standard text file.
  9. Run the newly-created file to run your shutdown process. The shutdown will occur according to the rules you created.
    • Make sure you've saved anything you need to before running the shut down program.

Warnings

  • Do it on your own risk. Someone might get REALLY angry at you.. And rage.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732503.aspx
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