Are you looking for a different way to shut down or restart Windows 11 besides the Start menu? Windows 11 has several ways of doing this, including the Start menu, Power User menu, keyboard shortcuts, and PowerShell. Whether you prefer using keyboard shortcuts, the Start menu , or the command line, there's a method that suits your preference. Here are all the ways you can shut down or restart Windows 11.
Using the Windows logon screen to shut down or restart Windows 11
- Left-click anywhere on the background or tap any key on the keyboard to bring up the log on prompt.
- Left-click on the Power icon in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
- Left-click on either Shut down or Restart.
Using the Start Menu to shut down or restart Windows 11
The simplest way to shutdown or restart your Windows 11 computer is by using the Start menu .
- Left-click on the Start button
- Left-click on the Power icon.
- Left-click on either Shut down or Restart.
Using the Power User Menu to shut down or restart Windows 11
- Press the Windows Logo key + X or right-click on the Start button to bring up the Power User menu.
- Left-click on Shut down or sign out.
- Left-click on either Shut down or Restart.
Using the Windows Security screen to shut down or restart Windows 11
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Del to bring up the Windows Security screen
- Left-click on the Power icon in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
- Left-click on either Shut down or Restart.
Using the Shut Down Windows dialog box to shut down or restart Windows 11
- With just the Desktop showing, press Alt + F4 to bring up the Shut Down Windows dialog box.
- Left-click on either Shut down or Restart.
Using PowerShell to shut down or restart Windows 11
- Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu.
- In the upper right-hand corner of the Start menu, left-click on All apps.
- Scroll down the list of programs and left-click on Windows Tools.
- Left-click on Windows PowerShell.
Once you have PowerShell open, type or copy and paste the following at the PowerShell prompt and then press Enter.
Stop-Computer
or
Restart-Computer
Using the Windows Shutdown and Annotation Tool to shut down or restart Windows 11
All versions of Windows include the Windows Shutdown and Annotation Tool (shutdown.exe). This app can be run from a Command Prompt or a Run dialog box. It can shut down or restart your computer. It can also log the current user off.
The most commonly used Shutdown syntax and parameters
Syntax |
shutdown |
[/l | /s | /r ] [/f] [/t xx] |
Parameters |
-l |
Logs off the current user. |
-s |
Shuts down your computer. |
-r |
Shuts down and restarts your computer. |
-f |
Forces running applications to close. |
-t xx |
Sets the timer for system shutdown in xx seconds. The default is 30 seconds. |
Using a Command Prompt to shut down or restart Windows 11
- Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu.
- In the upper right-hand corner of the Start menu, left-click on All apps.
- Scroll down the list of programs and left-click on Windows Tools.
- Left-click on Command Prompt.
How to open a Run Dialog box
- Press the Windows logo key + R
or
- Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu.
- In the upper right-hand corner of the Start menu, left-click on All apps.
- Scroll down the list of programs and left-click on Windows Tools.
- Left-click on Run.
Once you have a Command Prompt or a Run dialog box open, you will need to type or copy/paste the following syntax and parameters into it. Remember that when you press the Enter key or click OK, shutdown.exe will run with the parameter(s) you specify.
Recommened Shutdown syntax and parameters for logging off Windows 11
shutdown -l -f
Recommened Shutdown syntax and parameters for restarting Windows 11
shutdown -r -f -t 00
Recommened Shutdown syntax and parameters for shutting down Windows 11
shutdown -s -f -t 00
A complete list of Windows 11 Shutdown.exe syntax and parameters
Syntax |
shutdown |
[/i | /l | /s | /sg | /r | /g | /a | /p | /h | /e | /o] [/hybrid] [/soft] [/fw] [/f] [/m \\computer][/t xxx][/d [p|u:]xx:yy [/c "comment"]] |
Parameters |
No args |
Display help. This is the same as typing /?. |
/? |
Display help. This is the same as not typing any options. |
/i |
Display the graphical user interface (GUI). This must be the first option. |
/l |
Log off. This cannot be used with /m or /d options. |
/s |
Shutdown the computer. |
/sg |
Shutdown the computer. On the next boot, if Automatic Restart Sign-On is enabled, automatically sign in and lock last interactive user. After sign in, restart any registered applications. |
/r |
Full shutdown and restart the computer. |
/g |
Full shutdown and restart the computer. After the system is rebooted, if Automatic Restart Sign-On is enabled, automatically sign in and lock last interactive user. After sign in, restart any registered applications. |
/a |
Abort a system shutdown. This can only be used during the time-out period. Combine with /fw to clear any pending boots to firmware. |
/p |
Turn off the local computer with no time-out or warning. Can be used with /d and /f options. |
/hybrid |
Performs a shutdown of the computer and prepares it for fast startup. Must be used with /s option. |
/fw |
Combine with a shutdown option to cause the next boot to go to the firmware user interface. |
/e |
Document the reason for an unexpected shutdown of a computer. |
/m \\computer |
Specify the target computer. |
/t xxx |
Set the time-out period before shutdown to xxx seconds. The valid range is 0-315360000 (10 years), with a default of 30. If the timeout period is greater than 0, the /f parameter is implied. |
/c "comment" |
Comment on the reason for the restart or shutdown. Maximum of 512 characters allowed. |
/f |
Force running applications to close without forewarning users. The /f parameter is implied when a value greater than 0 is specified for the /t parameter. |
/d [p|u:]xx:yy |
Provide the reason for the restart or shutdown. p indicates that the restart or shutdown is planned. u indicates that the reason is user defined. If neither p nor u is specified the restart or shutdown is unplanned. xx is the major reason number (positive integer less than 256). yy is the minor reason number (positive integer less than 65536). |
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