Schedule Windows to Automatically Restart
How to schedule a Windows 98/2000/XP/2003 Computer to reboot.
This tutorial will show you how to schedule your PC to reboot at a given time and date, using the utility provided. This tutorial will work with Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 98. For this tutorial I will be using windows XP.
First Schedule Windows to Automatically Restart Download. Save it to disk and extract shutdown.exe to your C:\ drive.
Now open the Control Panel by clicking Start > Control Panel
In the Control Panel double click the Schedules Tasks (May be labeled Task Scheduler in other versions of windows) icon .
The Scheduled Tasks window should open up. Select Add Scheduled Task
This scheduled task wizard should open. Click next on the first screen.
Click browse and locate the shutdown.exe program. Select shutdown.exe and click open.
Select how often you would like to perform the task. I want my computer restart Weekly on Sunday morning, so I selected weekly. Make your select and click the next button.
Now select the time and the days of the week and click next. I selected 2am on every Monday.
On the next screen you will have to enter your password for windows. You must have a login password for these batch jobs to run. If you do not have a password you will need to add one in user settings. Enter your password information and click next.
On the final screen, put a checkmark the box that says “Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish” and then click finish
Now we will see the advanced properties window.
Now we have to add a few arguments to the command in the run line. Add the –r –f –t 01 arguments to the line that exists in the run field. My line reads: “C:\SHUTDOWN.EXE –r –f –t 01”.
Then click apply and the task will be scheduled. You can check later in the task scheduler to see if the task ran successfully.
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on July 25th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Please explain the shutdown command parameters that you have used
on July 31st, 2007 at 6:32 am
-r Shutdown and restart the computer
-f Forces running applications to close without warning
-t xx Set timeout for shutdown to xx seconds
on September 25th, 2007 at 8:19 am
Will this work for Vista? If not, how can you do this in Vista?
on October 17th, 2007 at 12:54 am
Will I need to make username/password in Windows 98 also?
on January 7th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Thanks, works like a charm
on March 26th, 2008 at 4:12 am
Thankyou very much…this is very clear
on March 29th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Awesome program… now I have two additional exe files that I need to automatically run once the system reboots…..any idea how I can get them to run WITHOUT using the Start Up folder?
Problem is that when I place in start up folder and log into server 2003 using RDP, everytime I log off and back on the processes duplicate or terminate…… I need the exe files to stay running until reboot. Any idea how to automate them on boot only?
Thanks in advance…
Todd
on March 31st, 2008 at 8:17 am
Hi Todd.
Make new string value and just add value(path of exe) in registry in local_machine/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion/run
it will run when start ur computer
on April 4th, 2008 at 12:52 am
My problem here is how do you get past the log in window after the comp booting windows after reboot? As you said the current user need a password on his account for this to work, but then when it try to boot up again you need to type the pass for it to login windows.
Any idea how to make this go automatic?
on April 9th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Thanks again Parvez. All worked like a charm!
Todd
on August 8th, 2008 at 8:19 am
thank you man!!
it rescued my life
i’m searcinhg the web for a while to restart my computers , there were only “useless” programmes. but your one doesn’t require any software really, it uses Windows’ shutdown.exe
thank you very much!
on August 19th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I have the same problem. bypassing the log in window after the automatic reboot. does anyone have a clue on how to do this?
on August 22nd, 2008 at 10:31 am
To bypass the logon screen you can download the tweakui power toy from microsoft. Although I seem to be having a problem using this tool so perhaps they conflict. Certainly worth a try however.
on August 22nd, 2008 at 10:49 am
If you don’t have a password set you can turn off the logon screen in windows xp.
on September 16th, 2008 at 8:49 am
This is the command line I am using. what is wrong when i right click on the task and click “run” to test it nothing happens except a Command prompt window briefly opens and shuts down. Computer does not shut down.
C:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -s -t 60 -c “Shutting down computer. School days ended. To remove with task open the Task Scheduler and delete task Weekly Shutdown” -f
on September 23rd, 2008 at 6:49 am
Vincent, try using slashes ( /s /t) instead. I’m not sure yet if it’ll work, but that’s how it was told to do in shutdown’s help (shutdown.exe /? )
on October 16th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Will this procedure work if I lock my PC? In other words, will the shutdown/restart work on a locked PC?
on November 9th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
can you schedule a computer to bootup or start from the off position?
on November 9th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
If your computer has “wake on LAN” capabilities it is probably possible to have another computer turn it on at a certain time. I don’t know how to do it off the top of my head.
on January 20th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
You can run an application as a service:
http://www.firedaemon.com/
I haven’t used it yet, since I do not have the need.
on February 24th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
The shutdown.exe is included in Windows XP in the windows\system32 folder. No need to download it.
@ Dave Scheduled tasks work on a computer that is locked or logged off.
@ Lucifer and kijana and Joe If you don’t have tweakui, you can still do automatic logon by editing the registry and adding these three string values in the following location, substituting the username and password to your actual ones.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
“DefaultUserName”=”Username”
“DefaultPassword”=”Password”
“AutoAdminLogon”=”1″
on May 13th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Aaron: You can schedule most PCs to startup at a certain time from the BIOS.
on May 20th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I’m running XP on a remote site serving a weather station on an island in northern Ontario Canada powered by a solar panel system. I would like to shut down the XPpc during the night and have it restart in the early morning. Can the shutdown.exe command include parameters to time the restart over greater periods of inactivity?
I have remote access via http://www.logmein.com which will allow a reboot but can not let me start a dormant machine.
Any help wold be appreciated, reply here or to my email:
-email removed. People have bots just looking for this stuff so that they can spam you. Leaving your email in the email field is good enough.-JW
on May 20th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Dean, in theory you would need a network card that allowed wake-on-lan and an other device that could send the wake on lan signal. I’ve never tried it myself.
on June 9th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I would explore the idea of using a small UPS with a programmable interface (e.g. an APC Smart-UPS 1000) with an agent on the XP system.
Set the UPS to shutdown the pc, then sleep for the required time, then restart. The XP system must be set to restart when power is applied (should be in the BIOS).
on July 14th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Hi there, thanks a million for this informative tutorial. The tutorial helped me improving my skills a little bit more. It is ever great to get some formidable inspiration and I hope to find more of such articles here the next time because no one will ever stop learning new things. Go ahead
on August 12th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
The shutdown.exe file you hav available for download here will NOT work with W98 as it is specific to Win NT systems.
on September 14th, 2009 at 9:27 am
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on September 18th, 2009 at 6:57 am
It is jumping like dog
And work more than fine
Nice
on October 5th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Works like a champ!
Have not tested the auto password yet, but hope it works.
I wonder if there is a way to make it instantly go to screensaver mode after login, so it loads all the stuff, but still needs a pw for anyone to actually get in. Is there an add-on string for that in shutdown.exe?
on November 11th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Hi, is the process and download compatible with WinServer 2008?