Many businesses have hundreds of computers, and shutting each one down individually is simply not logical. However, computer must be shut down in order for important updates to be completed. By using the remote shutdown tool, all of the computers on a network can be shutdown from one computer with administrative control. IT technicians can also shut down specific computer terminals to address malfunctions with a single computer. With the remote shutdown tool, computers can be remotely logged off, shut down, or completely restarted. The Windows remote shutdown process can even be set to occur at a specific time to save energy.
Using Remote Shutdown with the Dialogue Box
Many computer network administrators will balk at the idea of using the DOS platform to shut down network computers. DOS can be tedious to use and difficult to understand, and because DOS relies on specifically written codes in order to function, it is easy to make a mistake when using remote shutdown. However, the current Windows operating systems have a remote shutdown tool that is easy to use with a dialogue box.
In order to open the dialogue box that is used for Windows remote shutdown simply click on the start menu and select “Run.” The Run dialogue box will allow you to type short commands in order to run various programs. In this instance, you will be using the Run dialogue box to initiate the remote shutdown dialogue box. In the Run dialogue box, type the “cmd” and press the enter key. A DOS window will quickly open. Type “shutdown -i” in this window and press enter. Now, the remote shutdown dialogue box should appear. By following the instructions in this dialogue box, you can easily shut down any computer. Simply enter the name of the specific computer terminal and follow the prompts to remotely shut down a computer on the network.
If you are uncertain about a specific computer’s identification or name, you can right click on the My Computer icon and find the name of the specific computer terminal. For the remote shutdown tool to work, you will have to know the unique name of the computer terminal. For this tool to work, you must also have Administrator privileges over the specific computer terminal. If you work in the IT department of your business or otherwise manage the network, you probably have Administrator access. If, however, you aren’t sure whether you have access to a specific terminal, you can easily find out. All you have to do is search for the specific computer via your own terminal’s start menu. Select Run and type in the name of the computer you are searching for. If the computer appears, you will be able to use remote shutdown. If you are prompted for a password that you don’t have or are denied access then you will not be able to use Windows remote shutdown.
Other Features
You can customize the remote shutdown process by adding display messages or delaying the shutdown time. A display message is often shown as a courtesy so that individuals who are currently using their computer terminals will be made aware that the computer will soon be shutting down. This gives users a chance to save important information before their computer begins the shutdown process. The remote shutdown tool also allows you to decide whether programs will be closed and progress saved before the computer is shut down. For computer terminals that are experiencing problems, you may want to force close all programs when shutting down the computer. This is easily accomplished with the remote shutdown tool. A delayed shutdown allows you to set the network shutdown to occur at a specific time. For example, if you want all computer terminals to shut down at midnight, you can customize this by using the remote shutdown tool.
Using Windows Remote Shutdown with Microsoft DOS
If you are familiar with Microsoft DOS you may want to avoid using the dialogue box. The dialogue box is designed to make the remote shutdown process easier for inexperienced computer technicians, but it does eliminate some remote shutdown options. To use the DOS remote shutdown function, you begin by going to the start menu. Again, select the Run dialogue box and type “cmd” into the input area. When the black DOS box appears on your screen simply type in “shutdown” followed by the unique computer names that you want to shutdown. Using remote shutdown in this way offers a customizable shutdown experience.