6 Easy Ways to Use Shortcut Keys to Shut Down a Windows PC

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Quickly turn off your computer or laptop using keyboard shortcuts
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Do you need to shut down or restart your computer? As long as you have a working keyboard, you can perform these shortcuts to quickly turn off your Windows computer. It's important to note that powering off your computer with apps or programs running in the background may corrupt those files. If you can, you should close all applications before proceeding. This wikiHow will show you how to quickly shut down your Windows 7, 10, or 11 computer or laptop with keyboard shortcuts.

Things You Should Know

  • Press "Alt + F4" → "Shut down" → "OK".
  • Press "Ctrl + Alt + Del" → Power button → "Shut down".
  • Press the "Windows key + X" → "Shut down or sign out" → "Shut down".
Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Using Alt + F4

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  1. If you aren't on your desktop, you can use Alt + F4 to close any active windows in your path. [1]
    • A dialogue box will open. You'll see: What do you want the computer to do?
    • In newer versions of Windows, pressing Alt + F4 for the first time may open the dialogue box first.
  2. You'll need to click the drop-down menu to find the option if it isn't selected already. [2]
    • If you don't have access to the mouse, use the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard to cycle through the options until you reach Shut down .
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  3. This will immediately shut down your computer or laptop.
    • To do this without a mouse, press Tab on your keyboard to switch the selection to the OK button. Press Enter to confirm.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Using Control + Alt + Delete

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  1. This keyboard shortcut will work regardless of what programs you have open. This will open a new screen with options to lock, switch user, sign out, change a password, open the Task Manager, and more.
    • This method will shut down your computer or laptop without safely closing programs. This could cause corrupted files, so be sure to turn off your PC correctly if you can.
  2. This will open a pop-up menu.
    • If you don't have a mouse, press Tab until the Power button is highlighted, then press Enter .
  3. This will immediately shut down your computer.
    • You may receive a warning about closing unsaved programs. Click OK to proceed.
    • If you don't have a mouse, press Tab until Shut down is highlighted, then press Enter .
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Using Windows Key + X

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  1. This will open a menu on the left side of your screen. [3]
  2. This will expand the section. [4]
    • You can also press U on your keyboard to expand the section.
  3. Your computer or laptop will shut down immediately. [5]
    • If you don't have a mouse, you can press U again to shut down your device.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Using the Power Menu

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  1. You can also click the Start menu in the bottom-left corner. [6]
  2. This will open a pop-up menu. [7]
    • If you don't have a mouse, press Tab , then use the down arrow to select the Power button. Press Enter .
  3. Your computer or laptop will shut down immediately. [8]
    • If you don't have a mouse, press the down arrow to select Shut down , then press Enter .
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Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Using Hard Shut Down

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  1. Do this until the screen turns black and you can no longer hear your fans spinning.
    • Use this method if your computer or laptop is frozen and you're unable to use the screen or keyboard shortcuts.
Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Creating a Shortcut for Shut Down

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  1. A pop-up menu will open.
    • Use this method if you want to create a shortcut icon to shut down your computer or laptop.
  2. This will open a new window. [9]
  3. Copy and paste the following code into the location field: [10]
    • %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe /s /t 0
  4. This can be something simple, such as Shut down .
  5. Your shut down shortcut will be created.
  6. This will open the Properties window.
    • If you aren't already on the Shortcut tab, click it to navigate there now.
  7. By default, you'll see None assigned to the Shortcut key field.
    • To change the key, click the Shortcut key field.
      • The shortcut will be CTRL + ALT + a key of your choice. On your keyboard, press the key you want to use as the shortcut.
      • This can't be a key that requires you to press and hold "Shift" to enter. Use a letter from A-Z or number from 0-9.
    • If you want to change the shortcut icon, click Change Icon… .
  8. You can find this at the bottom-right corner of the window. This will save your changes.
  9. For example, if you used the letter K , the shortcut would be be CTRL + ALT + K .
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I shut down my computer?
    Community Answer
    If you are using a Mac, go to the top left corner, click the Apple icon and then click "Shut Down." If you are using Windows, go to the bottom left corner, click the Windows icon, and depending on what version of Windows you have, either click Shut Down or click the Power icon and click Shut Down.
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    Yes No
    Not Helpful 15 Helpful 20
  • Question
    What is the command that is mentioned as T10?
    Community Answer
    It tells Windows to shutdown after 10 seconds. If you want to shut down immediately, change the command to -t 0. Add the -f command to force close all open applications.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 12 Helpful 31
  • Question
    What is the computer shutdown shortcut key?
    Community Answer
    Close all open apps and folders. Once on your desktop, press Alt+F4, then press ENTER. You also may set the power button to "Shut Down PC" when pressed once; this can be done in the power button settings.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 17 Helpful 23
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/how-to-quickly-shut-down-windows-10/
      2. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/how-to-quickly-shut-down-windows-10/
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/shut-down-sleep-or-hibernate-your-pc-2941d165-7d0a-a5e8-c5ad-8c972e8e6eff
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/shut-down-sleep-or-hibernate-your-pc-2941d165-7d0a-a5e8-c5ad-8c972e8e6eff
      5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/shut-down-sleep-or-hibernate-your-pc-2941d165-7d0a-a5e8-c5ad-8c972e8e6eff
      6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/shut-down-turn-off-your-pc-893fd089-c851-71c7-af3e-63e159681b21
      7. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/shut-down-turn-off-your-pc-893fd089-c851-71c7-af3e-63e159681b21
      8. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/shut-down-turn-off-your-pc-893fd089-c851-71c7-af3e-63e159681b21
      9. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/how-to-quickly-shut-down-windows-10/
      1. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/how-to-quickly-shut-down-windows-10/

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