How To: Shutdown Windows 8 quickly and easily

One of the most utilized items from the [now missing] traditional Windows Start menu has always been the Shutdown menu. For years, shutting down Windows has been a simple matter of clicking Start and then Shut Down (or Restart). In Windows 8,  this function is now accessible from within the Charms menu – Charms Menu>Settings>Power.

To me, the one extra click is no big deal. However, I do recognize that it would be nice to have a simpler more accessible option on hand. One such option, available from within the desktop, is to use the keyboard shortcut Alt + F4. This immediately brings up a traditional shutdown menu.

Another method, which provides a very quick shutdown-only option for both environments, is to create a new shortcut which can then be placed on the Desktop taskbar and Star Menu screen:

Right click on the Desktop and select New>Shortcut:

Now, type shutdown /s /t 0 into the Location dialogue box (the last character is a zero, not the letter oh):

Click Next and then Finish.

Right click on the new ‘shutdown’ desktop icon and select “Pin to Start”, then drag the shortcut onto the taskbar.

A single click on the shortcut in either location will instantly shut the computer down.

3 thoughts on “How To: Shutdown Windows 8 quickly and easily”

    1. Bob – This is a guide for Windows 8, not for Windows 8 *plus* 3rd party software. Why would anyone want to install additional software in order to achieve something which is already well and truly do-able through the OS?

      There is absolutely no need to install a third party Start menu, everything can easily and effectively be achieved just by utilizing the options/settings already available in Windows 8 itself.

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