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

Quickly turn off your computer or laptop using keyboard shortcuts

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
    Press Alt+F4 on your desktop. If you aren't on your desktop, you can use Alt + F4 to close any active windows in your path.
    • 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. Image titled Shut Down Your PC with a Shortcut Key Step 2
    2
    Click Shut down. You'll need to click the drop-down menu to find the option if it isn't selected already.
    • 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. Image titled Shut Down Your PC with a Shortcut Key Step 3
    3
    Click OK. 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
    Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. 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. Image titled Shut Down Your PC with a Shortcut Key Step 5
    2
    Click the Power button in the bottom-right corner. 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. Image titled Shut Down Your PC with a Shortcut Key Step 6
    3
    Click Shut down. 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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    Press ⊞ Win+X. This will open a menu on the left side of your screen.
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    Click Shut down or sign out. This will expand the section.
    • You can also press U on your keyboard to expand the section.
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    3
    Click Shut down. Your computer or laptop will shut down immediately.
    • 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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    Press the Windows key
    Windows Start
    .     You can also click the Start menu in the bottom-left corner.[1]
  2. Image titled Shut Down Your PC with a Shortcut Key Step 11
    2
    Click the Power button. This will open a pop-up menu.
    • If you don't have a mouse, press Tab, then use the down arrow to select the Power button. Press Enter.
  3. Image titled Shut Down Your PC with a Shortcut Key Step 12
    3
    Click Shut down. Your computer or laptop will shut down immediately.
    • 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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    Press and hold the Power button. 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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    Right-click your desktop. A pop-up menu will open.
    • Use this method if you want to create a shortcut icon to shut down your computer or laptop.
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    Hover over "New", then click Shortcut. This will open a new window.
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    In the location field, enter the shutdown code. Copy and paste the following code into the location field:
    • %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe /s /t 0
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    Enter a name for the shortcut. This can be something simple, such as Shut down.
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    Click Finish. Your shut down shortcut will be created.
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    Right-click the shortcut and click Properties. This will open the Properties window.
    • If you aren't already on the Shortcut tab, click it to navigate there now.
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    Enter a Shortcut key. 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….
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    Click Apply, then OK. You can find this at the bottom-right corner of the window. This will save your changes.
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    Use the Shortcut key to shut down your computer. For example, if you used the letter K, the shortcut would be be CTRL + ALT + K.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I shut down my computer?
    Community Answer
    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.
  • Question
    What is the command that is mentioned as T10?
    Community Answer
    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.
  • Question
    What is the computer shutdown shortcut key?
    Community Answer
    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.
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/shut-down-turn-off-your-pc-893fd089-c851-71c7-af3e-63e159681b21

About This Article

Rain Kengly
Written by:
Rain Kengly
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema. This article has been viewed 528,927 times.
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Co-authors: 10
Updated: January 11, 2023
Views: 528,927
Categories: Basic Computer Skills
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