Exodus
Windows 2000 (with the Resource Kit installed) and Windows XP (natively) have an actual shutdown command that can be launched from a command prompt and which, therefore, also can be launched from a shortcut. To see all available options for this command, click Start, click Run, and type:
SHUTDOWN /?
This command starts a 30-second countdown for a shutdown or restart, which permits you to abort it (with a shutdown -a command). It you want the command to execute, use the -t flag, which lets you set the time lapse in seconds. The examples below use a 1-second delay.
For a shortcut to RESTART Windows XP:
SHUTDOWN -r -t 01
For a shortcut to SHUT DOWN Windows XP:
SHUTDOWN -s -t 01
Unfortunately especially on Windows XP this option only shuts down Windows. It does not shut down your computer, at least on most hardware. For that, on Win XP (and form most Win 2000 users also) I recommend the freeware utility Shutdown.exe (not to be confused with the Windows utility by the same name) by MS-MVP Andrej Budja. Ive seen several shutdown utilities recommended, but this is the only one that Ive seen actually shut down Windows XP and then powerdown the computer behind it. For more information on the tool, see here. After you place this utility in the root folder of C:, the commands for a shutdown or restart (respectively), each without a time delay, would be shutdown -u -t 0 for shutdown and shutdown -r -t 0 for restart.
Using the TSShutDn Utility
If you dont want to use a third-party utility, you may be able to get by with a lesser known utility in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The native commandline tool tsshutdn.exe was originally designed for shutting down servers, not work stations. It was introduced in Windows 2000, and retained in Windows XP. From a command prompt, type tsshutdn /? for a list of its subcommands and syntax. A command line of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\TSSHUTDN.EXE 0 /DELAY:0 /POWERDOWN will powerdown most Windows 2000 and Windows XP computers.
SHUTDOWN /?
This command starts a 30-second countdown for a shutdown or restart, which permits you to abort it (with a shutdown -a command). It you want the command to execute, use the -t flag, which lets you set the time lapse in seconds. The examples below use a 1-second delay.
For a shortcut to RESTART Windows XP:
SHUTDOWN -r -t 01
For a shortcut to SHUT DOWN Windows XP:
SHUTDOWN -s -t 01
Unfortunately especially on Windows XP this option only shuts down Windows. It does not shut down your computer, at least on most hardware. For that, on Win XP (and form most Win 2000 users also) I recommend the freeware utility Shutdown.exe (not to be confused with the Windows utility by the same name) by MS-MVP Andrej Budja. Ive seen several shutdown utilities recommended, but this is the only one that Ive seen actually shut down Windows XP and then powerdown the computer behind it. For more information on the tool, see here. After you place this utility in the root folder of C:, the commands for a shutdown or restart (respectively), each without a time delay, would be shutdown -u -t 0 for shutdown and shutdown -r -t 0 for restart.
Using the TSShutDn Utility
If you dont want to use a third-party utility, you may be able to get by with a lesser known utility in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The native commandline tool tsshutdn.exe was originally designed for shutting down servers, not work stations. It was introduced in Windows 2000, and retained in Windows XP. From a command prompt, type tsshutdn /? for a list of its subcommands and syntax. A command line of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\TSSHUTDN.EXE 0 /DELAY:0 /POWERDOWN will powerdown most Windows 2000 and Windows XP computers.
