How to Schedule Automatic Shutdown on Windows 11

Method 1Using the Run Dialog (Quick Shutdown Timer)

Use the Run dialog when you want a quick, one-time shutdown timer. It works on both Home and Pro and does not need an administrator account. It runs once. When the PC shuts down, the timer is gone, so use Task Scheduler (below) if you want a daily routine.

1. Press Win+R on your keyboard. The Run dialog opens in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
2. Type shutdown -s -t 3600 in the Open box and press Enter. The number 3600 is in seconds, so this shuts the PC down in one hour. To pick another delay, change the number: 1800 is 30 minutes, 7200 is two hours. The Run dialog closes and the timer starts.
3. Look for the notification that appears in the corner of the screen. It tells you when the PC will turn off. If you don’t see it, the timer is still running. Notifications can be hidden by Focus assist or Do not disturb, so a missing notification does not mean the command failed.

How to cancel a scheduled shutdown

If you change your mind, you can stop the timer at any point before it reaches zero. This also works for the one-hour timer above, as long as the PC has not shut down yet.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog again.
2. Type shutdown /a and press Enter. This sends the cancel command to Windows.
3. Watch for a notification saying the scheduled shutdown was cancelled. The timer is aborted immediately and the PC stays on. If nothing seems to happen, there may have been no active timer to cancel, or the countdown had already finished.

Method 2Using Task Scheduler for Daily Automation

Task Scheduler is a built-in Windows tool for running automated tasks. You can use it to shut your PC down every day at the same time without third-party software. It is included in Windows 11 Home and Pro. This method gives you full control over your daily routine, so the machine never stays on overnight by accident.

The task you build is made of three parts: a name and security settings (General), a time (Triggers) and the shutdown command itself (Actions). A fourth tab, Conditions, controls power behavior. The steps below go through each one in order, from opening Task Scheduler to saving the finished task. They run as one numbered list, so the numbers carry on after each screenshot.

These steps schedule an automatic shutdown in Windows 11 that runs every day at the time you choose.

1. Click the Start button. The Start menu⊞ opens.
2. Type Task Scheduler in the search🔍 box. Task Scheduler appears in the search results.
3. Click Task Scheduler in the results. The Task Scheduler window opens.

4. Select Task Scheduler Library in the left pane. Any tasks already on your PC are listed in the middle.
5. Click Create Task in the Actions pane on the right side of the window. Pick Create Task, not Create Basic Task, because you need the extra settings on its tabs.

A new window named Create Task opens, with the tabs General, Triggers, Actions, Conditions, Settings and History.

In the Create Task window, start on the General tab and set the following:

6. Type a name in the Name box on the General tab. For example, use “Nightly Shutdown”. Pick something you will recognize later.
7. Select Run whether user is logged on or not. This lets the shutdown happen even if you are signed out. Windows will ask for your account password when you save the task. An account with no password usually cannot use this option.
8. Check the box for Run with highest privileges. This step requires admin privileges, so you need to be signed in with an administrator account.
9. Set Configure for to Windows 10 or Windows 11. On some Windows 11 builds the list shows only “Windows 10”. Choose that. It works on Windows 11 too.

10. Click the Triggers tab. The trigger list is empty for a new task.
11. Click the New button at the bottom. The New Trigger window opens.

In the New Trigger window, set the following:

12. Set Begin the task to On a schedule. The schedule options appear below it.
13. Select Daily under Settings. Leave Recur every at 1 days for a nightly shutdown.
14. Pick your preferred time in the Start field. Time is in 12-hour format by default, so check AM and PM. Leave enough time to finish your work and save your files.
15. Make sure the Enabled box at the bottom is checked. If it is cleared, the trigger exists but never fires.
16. Click OK. The trigger now appears in the list on the Triggers tab.

17. Click the Actions tab. The action list is empty for a new task.
18. Click the New button. The New Action window opens.

In the New Action window, set the following:

19. Keep Action set to Start a program. This is the default, so you only need to confirm it.
20. Type shutdown.exe in the Program/script box.
21. Type /s /t 60 /c "Computer will shutdown in 60 seconds" in the Add arguments (optional) box.
22. Click OK. The action now appears in the list on the Actions tab. If a typo slips into the program or arguments, the task will run but nothing will shut down, so check both boxes before you continue.

The Conditions tab has the power settings that matter for a shutdown task. Make these changes:

23. Click the Conditions tab. The power options are listed under Power.
24. Uncheck Start the task only if the computer is on AC power. This option is checked by default on laptops. Leaving it on means the shutdown is skipped when the laptop runs on battery.
25. Check Wake the computer to run this task. This lets the PC wake from sleep to run the shutdown. It depends on your power settings allowing wake timers, so it may not work on every machine.
26. Click OK to save the task. Windows then asks for your password, as described next.

These changes make sure the scheduled shutdown happens even if the computer is unplugged.

27. Type your user account password and confirm. Windows asks for it to save the task, and you need administrator permissions for this. If the password is rejected, check that you are using the right account and that it has a password set.

28. Find your new task in the Task Scheduler Library list. From there you can view and manage the scheduled automatic shutdown for your Windows 11 computer.

Summary

Summary: setting up an automatic shutdown saves power and turns off your computer on schedule. Use the Run dialog for a one-off timer and cancel it any time before it ends. Use Task Scheduler when you want the same shutdown every day.