When you turn off the PC, all information is erased. How to use a bat file to shut down your PC automatically at a specified time. We turn off the computer at a time determined by us using programs

To ensure long-term uninterrupted operation of any computer, be it a home desktop PC or laptop, it is necessary to shut it down correctly. Many novice users neglect this point, not knowing or forgetting that incorrect actions at this stage can lead to the loss of working information. And over time, it threatens to require reinstallation operating system. Not to mention the hardware failure of your PC. This happens quite rarely, but such a risk cannot be completely eliminated.

The shutdown procedure is very simple and can be done in several ways. Let's look into the details.


Do I need to turn off my computer?

You may think: why doesn’t someone turn it off? Yes, and there may be several reasons:

  • the computer is sent to sleep or hibernation mode rather than turned off;
  • the computer is simply not turned off so as not to waste time turning it on;
  • The computer is not turned off at night so that movies or other files can be downloaded at night.

However, objective reasons shutdowns abound. Below are just a few of them:

  • Working modern computer A rather “gluttonous” device in terms of electricity consumption. Therefore, its aimless functioning leads to significant increase monthly electricity bill.
  • Light noise of coolers operating system unit, as well as illuminated system blog indicators at night can interfere with restful sleep (if the computer is in the bedroom). Therefore download large files(torrents, movies) is better not to perform at night.
  • It is undesirable to leave electrical appliances turned on in a house, apartment or office when no one is there.
  • Long-term continuous operation of the computer reduces the service life of the equipment.
  • All components of the system unit located in it are installed only with the power off. These are RAM modules, sound cards, processor, majority hard drives etc. C detailed device system unit we understood . Therefore, if you need to install it in the system unit additional module- The computer will need to be turned off.

Forced shutdown of the computer

Constantly using the methods described below to turn off the computer is extremely contraindicated for the “health” of the computer. However, many novice users due to ignorance the right ways handling computer equipment, abuse this method of turning off the computer, and then wonder why their computer does not start.

Unplug the cord from the outlet... Caution!!!

The usual action of pulling the plug of an electrical appliance from the socket is not applicable to a computer. No, of course, you can experiment...

Just for the future normal functioning I can't vouch for the device!

The fact is that during operation, all the necessary data from operating system programs (you can find out what an operating system is and why it is needed at all) and documents are stored in the computer’s RAM. Primarily used for permanent storage HDD, and to write data to it when turned off, you must follow the correct steps.

A sudden shutdown“from the socket” is an emergency option for shutting down the computer, in which system files may be damaged, preventing your computer from starting the next time.

Imagine that you are thinking about an important task and suddenly fall asleep! About the same effect will happen with a computer.

Similar consequences may occur when sudden shutdown source uninterruptible power supply. If you are not yet “familiar” with this life-saving device, then let’s briefly understand its purpose.

An uninterruptible power supply (aka UPS) can provide continuous power to your computer in the event of a sudden power failure. electric current online. Usually, it is not intended for long-term work, but only allows you to correctly save all open documents, close programs and turn off the computer within a few minutes. All working data will not be lost.

By the way, often in tests on computer literacy there is a question: “When you turn off the computer, all information is erased in...”

Answer: in RAM. Everything is saved on the hard drive.

Forcing the computer to shut down using the power button

You can turn off a frozen computer (which does not respond to keyboard or mouse presses) by pressing the power button (also known as the power button) on the system unit and holding it down. Shutdown will occur after approximately 3-4 seconds of holding the button pressed.

It is also undesirable to abuse this method, since this shutdown option is an emergency and can damage system files and lead to the loss of information important to you.

I use it only when the computer is really hopelessly frozen and does not respond to any actions for 15-20 minutes.

Therefore, I once again draw your attention!

Turning off the computer by unplugging the plug power cord from a power outlet, a key on an extension cord, or a button on an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) without shutting down the operating system correctly will result in the loss of all unsaved data and, over time, the termination of normal operation operating system.

Modern operating systems will warn you about open programs before shutting down your computer.

Properly shutting down your computer

Preparation before shutdown

To ensure safety open documents and files that you directly worked with, before turning off the computer you need to perform a number of actions:

  • save the results of your work in open source software Oh;
  • remove the disk from the drive, if it is there;
  • close running applications/programs;
  • give a command to turn off the computer using one of the methods that we will discuss below.

How to turn off your computer in Windows 7 via the Start menu.

Click on the button. It's located in the Start menu:

If there are open programs and unsaved documents, after clicking the button, the system will issue a warning asking you to close the programs.

If unsaved documents are not important to you, then you can speed up the shutdown process by clicking on the “ Force termination work."

If the documents are important, click the “Cancel” button, save the documents and close the programs and again click on “Shut down” in the “Start” menu

Next, wait until the system unit turns off (the screen will go dark, the system unit will stop buzzing, and the system unit’s power indicator will go out). After which you can turn off the UPS (uninterruptible power supply), if available, or the power strip key.
By the way, to protect your computer, another useful acquisition can be a surge protector (), just don’t confuse it with a simple extension cord!

How to turn off your computer in Windows 8 via the Start menu

To turn off your computer in Windows 8, just click on the start button (usually in the lower left corner of the Desktop). And then click on the computer shutdown icon on the right top corner window.

From the menu that opens, select “Shut down.”

We wait for the system unit to turn off and turn it off by unplugging it from the outlet or using the button surge protector or on the UPS.

Alternative options

Method 1 - start shutdown by briefly pressing the shutdown button

Switch off desktop computer You can do this by briefly pressing the power button on the system unit. Further actions in case of open programs, the steps are similar to those described above.

If there are none, the computer will turn off automatically.

A short press on the computer's power button will begin the shutdown process (equivalent to selecting the Shutdown option in Windows, as described above).

Method 2 - How to turn off your computer using the keyboard

While on the Desktop, press the key combination “Alt+F4”. A shutdown window appears.

Click the “Ok” button. We wait for the system unit to turn off and turn it off

Turn off the laptop

When turning off the laptop, the methods discussed above are available, but there is an easier way. You simply close its lid. It automatically goes into “sleep” mode, and in case of further prolonged “rest” it will automatically turn off, saving everything stored in RAM to the hard drive. When you turn on the computer again, all data will be restored to the state it was when you closed the laptop lid. This is the default behavior of the laptop, however, it can be changed.

Be careful, your laptop may behave differently when closing the lid!

The behavior of the laptop when the lid is closed can be customized and we will talk about this in a separate article.

Automatic computer shutdown according to schedule (timer)

In your daily interactions with your computer, you may need to turn it off while you are away. For example, the process of copying a CD or hard defragmentation disk, or processing a video file takes a long time, and you need to leave or just go to bed. How to optimally organize the computer shutdown in this case?

There are several options:

  • Some programs have a well-thought-out function automatic shutdown computer after completing the assigned tasks (for example, in uTorrent, Download Master);
  • standard Windows tools allow you to set the shutdown automatically according to time;
  • exist third party programs to automatically turn off the computer.

If you are still wondering what is computer programs, read .

As part of our “dialogue” we will only consider using the standard “Task Scheduler” Windows systems to organize the daily shutdown of the computer in certain time days. This is convenient, for example, for turning off the computer in the evening or at the end of the working day without your participation.

To get started with this program, go to the “Start” menu -> “Accessories” -> “Utilities”, select “Task Scheduler”.

We left-click on it and in the window that appears, select “Create a simple task...”

We call it arbitrarily, but it is clear to us, the planned action. Click the “Next” button...

We define the task trigger, that is, we set the mode of its execution.

Let's specify the time parameters.

In the next window we determine the required action. We are interested in “Running programs”.

We indicate the command to be executed and its additional parameters.

In the next window, after checking the entered data and clicking the “Finish” button, we will create a new task for the system.

Double-clicking with the left mouse button on it will open the task properties for editing.

The task will be completed at the appointed time. A minute before shutdown, the system will display a message on the screen about the upcoming shutdown of the computer. You can cancel the shutdown if you have time to perform a number of actions:

  • Press the key combination “Win+R” to open the “Run” command line window;
  • Type the command “shutdown –s” and press the “OK” button or just the “Enter” key.

The task will be cancelled. You can continue working further.

I hope that this information will help your computer to be “healthy” and efficient.

In addition to external devices, the computer also has internal devices. These include hard disks , CD- And DVD- devices, etc. These internal devices are connected to the common PC bus through I/O device controllers.

This ensures a standard PC configuration, with a high-speed processor, RAM and controllers on a common bus. Other devices (whether they are external, such as printers, or internal, such as hard drives, for example) are connected to the PC only through special controllers.

Connecting internal devices to a PC, as well as external devices to a PC, expands the capabilities of the computer. For example, hard drives significantly increase the memory of a PC.

In addition, internal and external devices connected to the PC via controllers usually allow retain information even after turning off the power computer.

In this case, information from RAM and the processor is completely erased without the possibility of subsequent recovery.

This means that by using external and internal devices, you can ensure the safety of both information and programs. Accordingly, after turning on the computer, you can continue processing information without losing programs and data. Otherwise, you would have to re-program it every time you turn on the computer.

Now let's see how a modern computer works from the moment it is turned on, how it “comes to life” after power is applied. Each computer in mandatory there is a basic I/O device ( BIOS). When the computer is turned on, information about the PC configuration is automatically read from it.

PC Configuration– this is information about the processor and its capabilities, about RAM and its size (the number of memory cells), about input/output device controllers connected to the common PC bus. Thus, the computer configuration (“forgotten” by it at the time of the previous shutdown) is restored in the PC memory, and now the processor, RAM and controllers can work in harmony with each other.

The basic input/output device (BIOS) is the only device inside a PC that does not require electrical power to store data. For this purpose, in older computer models, special batteries were connected to it. IN modern models devices that do not require power for long-term storage of information, for example, flash memory, can be used. Otherwise, I repeat, it is impossible to save information about the computer configuration after shutting down electrical supply.

From base device Input-output (BIOS) during the computer boot process also reads information about which of the external PC devices contains the operating system being loaded into it.

operating system– special software, which creates user-friendly interface for PC users and a convenient environment for execution application programs computer users. The processor accesses this external device(using the address of this device read from the BIOS base I/O device), selects the operating system boot program and executes this program sequentially command by command.

All this takes a lot of time, so the computer does not start working immediately after turning on. To speed up computer startup in laptops and, less often, in desktop computers methods of “quick” switching on and off are used, the so-called sleep and standby modes. But in order to quickly turn on your computer without wasting time waiting for the operating system to load, you must first turn it off “correctly”.

When you turn off the computer by placing it in one of the above modes (sleep or standby), an image of the operating system and application programs at the time the computer was turned off is stored in RAM or on the hard disk.

Then, when you turn on the computer, all that remains is to load this saved image into RAM, and start execution of interrupted programs. And it's much faster than starting the operating system from the initial boot point.

Speaking about the sleep and standby modes of turning off the computer, it should be noted that turning off the computer to standby mode requires mandatory preservation electrical connection computer. This is due to the fact that in standby mode, information about the computer configuration is written to RAM, the operation of which is impossible without electrical power.

But when turned off to sleep mode the computer can be disconnected from electrical network, since all the information necessary for subsequent switching on of the power supply is stored on the hard drive and is not lost when the power is turned off.

After loading the operating system, the processor begins to execute those programs that are necessary for the PC user. Of course, users do not think about what commands the PC processor uses, from which RAM cells it takes data and into which cells it writes it after processing, etc. PC users were saved from this by programmers who ensured that user instructions were translated into a language understandable to the PC processor.

Again we see what plays a decisive role in the fact that modern PCs have become such widespread and easy-to-use information processing devices...

All people use their computers to solve different tasks and treat them differently. Some prefer to always turn off their computer without using sleep mode or even knowing what hibernation is, while others force them to work 24/7.

Many people believe that turning off the computer at night is not necessary: ​​after all, frequent restarting of the main components of the computer wears out the system. On the other hand, constant use also causes wear and tear on your computer. Choosing the lesser of two evils can be difficult.

The decision primarily depends on the mode of use of the computer. It may seem that each of the three modes turns off the computer in almost the same way, especially when it comes to a laptop. However, it is not. There are fundamental differences.

ModeHow does it workWhen to use
Shutdown
This is the power outage state that most of us are familiar with. When turned off, all system functions are disabled.

A PC that is turned off uses almost no power. However, when you want to use it again, you will have to turn it back on and wait full load all systems. Depending on your system, this may take from a few seconds to several minutes

Whenever. Overnight and longer
DreamIn sleep mode, the PC enters a low-power state. The PC state is stored in memory. When you turn on the computer, it quickly comes back to life, and not like a normal boot. Everything will be OK. The computer will launch all files and applications that were launched previously
Sleep is necessary during short breaks from working with a computer. For example, you don't have to turn it off if you go to lunch or take a break from it.

You can initiate Sleep mode to save battery power and subsequently quickly start your computer from where you left off. It will always be ready to use.

This mode is not suitable for long standby times due to high level electricity consumption

HibernationYour computer stores its current state on the hard drive, essentially dumping the contents of its memory into a file. When you boot your computer, it loads everything that was running on your computer before it shut down. This allows you to save all your open programs and data, and return to it later. A computer in hibernation mode uses no more electricity than when it is turned off. In this case, electricity will only be needed to illuminate the power buttonsThis mode saves more energy than sleep. Suitable for "turning off" the computer at night

Note! On laptops everything is much simpler. If you close the lid of the laptop without turning it off, it will automatically go into mode when the battery charge reaches a critical point. This way it will save all your files and running programs.

Video - What to choose: sleep, hibernation or shutdown?

About turning off the computer

One of the reasons to turn off your computer every day is to save money. A typical PC consumes about 300 watts. Let's say you use your computer for four hours every day, so for the remaining 20 hours it will waste electricity. If electricity costs 4 rubles per kilowatt-hour in your area, then for 20 hours you will have to pay about 80 rubles per day, which amounts to just under 30 thousand per year.

Can be used energy saving features and cut this figure in half. For example, you can turn off the power to your monitor and hard drive when not in use, but that won't save you from wasting money.

The main argument of those who almost never turn off the computer is its wear and tear. For example, when the CPU chip is running, it can get hot, and when you turn off the computer, it cools down. Expansion and contraction from heat can have some effect on the solder joints that hold the chip in place and on the microscopic parts of the chip itself. Many people think that switching off and on creates additional stress. However, this only applies to older components and mechanical parts that are no longer found in modern systems.

One of the reasons for turning off the computer every day is saving

But here are three points to look at it from a different perspective:

  1. In fact Hardware very reliable, the manufacturers have already taken care of this.
  2. No person keeps a computer on 24 hours a day. Modern TVs are in many ways similar to a computer and have the same components. TVs do not have problems with turning on and off.
  3. You can purchase additional guarantee for several years, using some of the money you save while it's off. In any case, you will remain at an advantage compared to those who do not turn off the computer.

However, there are times when it is better to leave your computer on. These are the only good reasons not to turn off your computer:

  1. Do you use a PC as a server or want to be able to remote access to him.
  2. There are updates, virus scans, or other actions that you would like to complete while you are away.

Video - Is it possible not to turn off the computer?

How to turn off your computer

There are two ways to turn off your computer:

  • via the start button;
  • through a button on the system unit.

Both options lead to the same result - the computer turns off. In fact, from this point of view, holding down the power button for a few seconds seems to turn off the computer immediately, whereas the correct shutdown windows takes from 20 to 30 seconds. However, holding down the power button to turn off the computer does not best idea. To understand the point, you need to understand what a computer typically does during a standard turning off windows, and why it is necessary.
During normal operation:

  • the computer hard drive rotates at speeds thousands of times per minute;
  • Windows has a lot of files to read and write;
  • Windows can read and write data to the system registry.

During a normal shutdown, the following processes occur:

  • Windows closes all files that were used by the system;
  • access to the system registry is closed;
  • The hard drive gently stops.

Pressing the power button abruptly turns off the computer; it is clear that it does not have time to properly close all programs and components and save all changes. Any files system registry, may now have incomplete or corrupt data because you did not allow it to complete this process correctly. This may also lead to damage to hard disk.

The user can for a long time not to notice these changes, however, if you turn it off incorrectly every day, you risk causing irreparable damage to your computer, which one day will be the last straw. So if you are interested in long work computer or laptop, disconnect it from the power supply correctly, without trying to “save” 30 seconds before going to bed.

Sleep or hibernation

Before shutting down, you will have to save all files and close programs, and the next time you turn them on, launch them again and wait until the computer boots up completely. Sleep and hibernation, in turn, allow you to save your current session without the risk of losing important files and running processes.

Hibernation saves your computer's state to your hard drive and is completely disabled. When you turn on your computer again, it will load the data from the disk into RAM and then resume working from where it left off. In other words, hibernation is literally the same as turning off your computer - only with information about all recent activity saved.

You can set your computer or laptop to automatically enter hibernation mode. This is quite easy to do.

Step 1. Go to Control Panel via the Start menu.

Step 2. Open the "Hardware and Sound" section.

Open the “Hardware and Sound” section and go to “Power Options”

Step 3. Now move on to the power supply. It contains all the settings that relate to power consumption and shutdown plans.

Step 4. Now go to the settings to turn off the laptop when the lid is closed. Change them as you wish and don't forget to save the new settings.

So, turning off your computer doesn't harm it enough to stop doing it. The only one a worthwhile alternative The only way to turn off the power is to hibernate, but even then, the computer will need to restart from time to time.

The answer depends on how you use your computer. If you use your computer more than once a day, leave it on for a day. Also, if you work on your computer in the morning and at night, you can also leave it on overnight. If you only use it for a few hours once a day, turn it off.

Most users turn off the computer in the classic way - through the Start menu or the Windows 8 start screen. But this method of turning off the computer is not always convenient. Sometimes it is much more convenient to turn off the computer or use a shortcut on the desktop. In this article we will talk about how to implement this.

Shutting down the computer through the command line is done using the shutdown command. The shutdown command can accept the following parameters:

  • /s – Shut down the computer;
  • /a – Cancels rebooting or shutting down the computer. This parameter can only be used while waiting for shutdown (delayed shutdown);
  • /h – Go to ;
  • /t xxx – Set a delay of XXX seconds before rebooting or shutting down the computer. Allows ;
  • /c “comment” – A comment indicating the reason for shutting down or restarting the computer;
  • /f – Forces termination of all open programs without warning the user. This parameter is used if the /t parameter specifies a delay greater than 0 seconds;
  • You can find out other parameters that can be used to shut down the computer via the command line by using the shutdown command without any parameters;

So, in order to immediately shut down the computer through the command line or the so-called console, you need to enter the following command:

  • Shutdown /s /t 00

If you want to turn off the computer with a delay, then instead of zeros you need to specify the delay in seconds:

  • Shutdown /s /t 60

If you want to restart the computer, use the /r parameter instead of the /s parameter:

  • Shutdown /r /t 00

To reboot with a delay, use the /t parameter indicating the number of seconds:

  • Shutdown /r /t 60

When you restart or turn off your computer using a delay, a warning window appears on the screen.

If the delay is very long, such as 60 minutes (3600 seconds), a pop-up message appears in the lower right corner of the screen instead of a warning window.

While the delay is in effect, the computer can be stopped from shutting down. To do this in command line you need to enter the command:

  • Shutdown/a

It should be noted that Shutdown command can be used not only in the command line, but also in shortcuts. This allows you to create a shortcut to shut down your computer. This shortcut can be left on the desktop or pinned to start screen Windows 8.

To do this, open the context menu ( right button mouse) and use the “Create shortcut” function.

In the window that opens, command to turn off or restart the computer and click on the “Next” button.

As a result, you will receive a shortcut that, when opened, will shut down your computer.