How to Restart Windows in Command Prompt:

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Quickly restart Windows with shutdown commands

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: September 9, 2025 Fact Checked

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CMD Restart Commands

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Canceling a Restart

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This wikiHow guide teaches you how to restart a Windows PC by typing commands at the command prompt. We'll show you the most useful versions of the restart command (shutdown /r), plus how to cancel a reboot if you change your mind.

Restart Commands for CMD (Command Prompt)

shutdown /r - Closes programs and reboots in 60 seconds.
shutdown /r /t <seconds> - Reboots in the preferred number of seconds.
shutdown /r /t 0 - Reboot immediately (no warning).
shutdown /r /g - Reboot now, then reopen startup applications.
shutdown /r /m \\<computerName> - Reboot remote PC in 60 seconds.
shutdown /a - Cancel the reboot.

Section 1 of 2:

Rebooting from Command Prompt

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This activates the Windows search bar.
A list of search results will appear.

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Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. This opens the command prompt with administrator permissions. The command prompt will appear inside a terminal window.
- If prompted, click Yes to confirm.
- If you can't use the search bar to open Command Prompt (for example, if the taskbar has disappeared or search isn't working), you can also open Command Prompt as an administrator using the Run dialog:
  - Press Windows key + R.
  - Type cmd.
  - Press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+↵ Enter at the same time.
  - Click Yes when prompted.
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Enter the reboot command you want to run, followed by ↵ Enter. To reboot your PC from the command prompt, you'll use the shutdown /r command, along with your desired options. Here are some common ways to shut down the computer:^{[1]
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- shutdown /r - Closes all open applications and reboots the computer in 60 seconds. A dialog window will appear, giving you the option to cancel before 60 minutes elapse.
- shutdown /r /t <seconds> - Reboots the computer in the preferred number of seconds.
  - For example, to reboot the computer in 5 minutes, enter shutdown /r /t 300.
- shutdown /r /t 0 - Reboots the computer right now with no warning or option to stop it.
- shutdown /r /g - Reboots the computer now, then reopens any applications that are set to launch automatically.
- shutdown /r /m \\<computerName> - Reboots a remote computer in 60 seconds.

Section 2 of 2:

Canceling a Reboot

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If you entered the reboot command (shutdown /r) at the command prompt and change your mind before the system reboots, you can type shutdown /a and press Enter to cancel the reboot.^{[2]
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