How to Shut Down Your Computer Using a Notepad Bat File

Easy-to-follow steps for any PC

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Last Updated: March 21, 2025 Tested

Notepad, Windows' free text editor, is also a competent code editing program. You can use some simple Windows commands in Notepad to create a file that will shut down your computer when you run it. This is great if you want to save some clicks for future shut downs, or you want to play a prank on a friend.

Using Notepad to Close & Shut Down Everything

Pull up Notepad in the search bar.
Type “shutdown.exe -s.”
Add a timer if you want by adding -t followed by a number.
Select “file” and save the text as a batch (.bat) file.
Open and run the file to perform the shutdown.

Steps

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1
Open Notepad. This is the free text editing program that comes with every version of Windows. You can use it to create a command that, when run, will shut down Windows for you.
- You can find Notepad by clicking the Start menu and selecting "Programs" → "Accessories" → "Notepad". You can also click the Start menu, type notepad, and press ↵ Enter.
shutdown.exe -s on the first line. This is the command to shut down the computer.

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3
Add a timer by using the .-t flag. By default, the shutdown process will be delayed by 30 seconds. You can change this by using the -t gflag with the number of seconds you want to delay.
- For example, to create a shutdown command that waits 45 seconds, type shutdown.exe -s -t 45.
- To create a shutdown command that shuts the computer down immediately, type shutdown.exe -s -t 00.
4
Add a message to be displayed. If you want, you can add a personalized message to the shut down notice by using the -c flag. Using the above example, type shutdown.exe -s -t 45 -c "comment". The comment must be in quotes.^{[1]
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- For example, you can let the user know how long until the shutdown begins by typing shutdown.exe -s -t 45 -c "Computer will shut down in 45 seconds".
You will need to save the file as a batch file, which Windows can execute to run the shutdown command.
This will allow you to change the file type.
7
Delete the ..txt from the end of the file name. Replace it with .bat.
- If you don't see the three letter file extensions, click here.
A new copy will be created with the .bat extension, and it will have a different icon than a standard text file.
9
Run the newly-created file to run your shutdown process. The shutdown will occur according to the rules you created.
- Make sure you've saved anything you need to before running the shut down program.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I use this with cmd?

Community Answer

Yes. Just type, "shutdown/s/t 500" or however long you choose. To abort, type, "shutdown /a."

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Question

Does this shut down the computer for good or just until I restart it?

Community Answer

It does not shut your computer down for good. It shuts down your computer the same way as if you pressed the off button.

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Question

How do I change the icon of this file for a prank?

Community Answer

Rename the shortcut to what you want it to be called. Right-click, go to Properties and press "Change Icon". Press "Browse" and look for a suitable icon.

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