Here's how to quickly shut down Windows 8 - our Helproom Editor explains.
You can quickly close down Windows 8: here's how
With the Start menu missing from Windows 8, the familiar method of shutting down by clicking on Start and selecting shutdown is also missing. The most obvious, but also somewhat laborious, method is to bring up the Charms, click on the power icon and then select "Shut down".
If you're at the Desktop you may find it quicker to click on the taskbar and press Alt-F4 to bring up a shut down menu. However, if this simply isn't quick enough for you, you can create your own shut down button by creating a shortcut to the Windows shutdown command.
To do this, open up Windows File Explorer and pick any folder where you would like to store your shortcut. It doesn't really matter where this is as it's a tiny file.
Now right-click in the file pane and select New, them Shortcut.
In the box marked "Type the location of the item:" type "shutdown /s /t 0" (without quotes), then click Next.
Now name this shortcut to "Shut down" by typing in the box provided and click Finish. Now you can right-click on your new shortcut and select "Pin to Start" to make it appear on the Start page and/or "Pin to Taskbar" to make it appear as a button on your taskbar. Be careful, as clicking it will effect an immediate shutdown with no chance to back out.
You can create variations on the button by using various options with the shutdown command. These include among others /r to restart instead of shutting down, /g to restart with all your current applications reloaded, /h to hibernate the PC and /hybrid to prepare the system for fast start up.
If you like, you can change the icon to something prettier by right-clicking it and selecting Properties, then going to the Shortcut tab and clicking on Change icon, ignoring and warning messages which may pop up.
Read the following articles:
- How to add Windows Media Center to Windows 8
- How to migrate Windows XP Mode to Windows 8
- Add Windows 7 Desktop Gadgets to Windows 8
- Add Start Menu to Windows 8
For more on the changes in Windows 8 and how to use them visit Windows 8 Advisor. For detailed advice on installing Windows 8 Release Preview, read our article: How to install Windows 8.
See all How to articles. Get free tech support in the Helproom Forum.
Comments
Rafael said: Guess what some people are not that stupid and discover by themselves Its also on the logon scren so anyone who hits log off will find the button
Maodoi said: Navigating in Windows 8 states that to shut down the computer just press and release hardware power button Windows 8 knows how to safely shut down the computer Is this instruction incorrect
Tim Fontana said: shutdown -s -p works better
guest said: May I know the shortcut to make the computer sleep
Waynebaal said: So clicking on Start and then clicking on Shut Down is sooooo much less LABORIOUS lmfao than moving your cursor to the side of the screen and making the same number of clicks How massively complicated this is for a single-cell amoeba
Thomasleo007 said: thank you very much just what i wanted
tried it said: these instructions are wrong
8<7 said: Really a whole blog post on how to shut down a Windows computer They 8th rev of the OS and we cant figure out how to shut it down
Sean said: CTRLALTDEL then click the Power icon in the lower right corner Gives you Sleep Restart and Shutdown options
Random said: The shutdown button is under Settings Shutting down is not a settingIf I have to Google how to shutdown my computer then the interface is a failure Thanks MS
wibbling said: And yet again another reason why Windows 8 is a complete disaster
Kyle said: You can also just hold the Windows key down and press I on the keyboard There you will find a power option which makes it extremely easy to shut down quick and efficiently
Murray Snudge said: If its that complicated to turn it OFF then its no wonder that many people dont want to turn it ON to start with and stay with 7
Ian said: The power button on my desktop PC isnt accessible its in a cupboard so this is a handy shortcut However having played with Win8 for a month I have concluded that Classic Shell makes it bearable but its not worth paying for - I just cant be bothered learning how to use it as it seems to offer nothing that XP and Win7 lack unless you have a touchscreen but I think Id rather have an iPad mini than a Surface tablet
Dominic Herrera said: Article is incomplete It doesnt describe how to shut down a computer using the power button Its still the most intuitive way to turn off any electronicsI think that Its now safe to turn off your computer message from Windows 9x traumatized several generations of users so now they dont even consider touching it to shut downPlease folks push the power button its really okay now -