How To Create Shutdown Shortcut in Windows 10

Want a shutdown icon on the Windows desktop? Here is how to create a simple shutdown shortcut in Windows 10 for a quick and easy shutdown.

When done working with the computer or at the end of the day, it is common for many users to shut down the system completely. As such, Windows 10 provides multiple ways to shut down the computer. For example, you can right-click on the Start menu, and select “Shut down or sign out -> Shut down,” or click the Power button in the Start menu, use the “Alt + F4” menu, schedule shut down, etc.

Even with all the options, there might times when you need a desktop shortcut for shutdown.

For example, if the computer is being used by the elderly, having a shutdown icon on the desktop will make the task easy. Add to that, if you are creating custom scripts or want to add a keyboard shortcut for shutdown, the desktop shortcut will help immensely.

This quick and simple Windows 10 help guide will show you how to create a shutdown shortcut in simple steps. Just follow the steps as is, and the task is done in no time.

Create shutdown shortcut in Windows 10

Unlike the regular shortcuts where you point the shortcut to the program’s exe file, the shutdown shortcut is different. That is, you have to point the shortcut to the shutdown.exe file and add relevant command parameters. Without these additional parameters, the shortcut won’t work correctly.

Follow these steps to create a shutdown desktop shortcut in Windows 10.

Go to the desktop.
Right-click on the desktop.
Select the “New -> Shortcut” option.
Type “shutdown.exe /s /t 00” in the location field.
Click the “Next” button.
Type “Shutdown” in the name field.
Click “Finish.”
With that, you’ve created the shutdown shortcut on the desktop.

First thing, go to the desktop. You do that by minimizing all the applications or clicking on the “Desktop” button on the right side of the taskbar. On the desktop, right-click and select the “New -> Shortcut” option.

In the location field, type the below command and click the “Next” button. If you are wondering, the explanation for the command is pretty simple. The /s parameter is telling the shutdown.exe file to shut down the computer in 00 seconds, denoted by the /t parameter. This means, when you double-click on the shortcut, it will shut down your computer immediately, just like with the regular shutdown option.

shutdown.exe /s /t 00

Now, type “Shutdown” in the Name field and click “Finish.” It will appear as the shortcut name.

With that, you have created the shutdown shortcut on the desktop.

Shutdown icon

Adding the shutdown icon to the shortcut will make it a bit more recognizable. The below steps are entirely optional, but I recommend you follow them.

To add the shutdown icon, right-click on the shortcut you just created and select “Properties.”

Now, click the “Change icon” button under the “Shortcut” tab.

You might see an information prompt letting you know that the shutdown.exe file has no icons. Just click on the “Ok” button to continue.

Now, choose the “Power” or “Shutdown” icon and click the “Ok” button. You can choose any icon you want, but selecting the one relevant to the shortcut is good.