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When multiple computers are connected to a network, you can power them down remotely, regardless of the operating system they use. For Windows systems, you’ll need to configure the target computer to enable remote shutdown. Once configured, you can remotely shut down any computer, including Linux systems. Mac computers can also be powered off remotely using a simple Terminal command.
Steps
Enable Remote Registry Service (Windows)
Open the Start menu on the target computer. Before shutting down a Windows computer on the network remotely, you need to activate the Remote Services on that machine. This action requires administrator access to the computer.
- If you’re looking to shut down a Mac remotely, refer to method 4.
Type .services.msc into the Start menu and press ↵ Enter. The Microsoft Management Console will open, displaying the "Services" section.
Locate "Remote Registry" in the list of services. By default, this list is sorted alphabetically.
Right-click on "Remote Registry" and select "Properties". The Properties window for the service will open.
Choose "Automatic" from the "Startup type" menu. Then, click "OK" or "Apply" to save the changes.
Click the Start button again and type "firewall". The Windows Firewall will launch.
Click on "Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall". This option is located on the left side of the window.
Press the "Change settings" button. This will enable you to modify the list below.
Check the box for "Windows Management Instrumentation". Ensure the box under the "Private" column is marked.
Shut Down a Windows Computer Remotely
Open Command Prompt on your computer. You can use the Shutdown program to manage the shutdown process for multiple computers on the network. The quickest way to access this program is through Command Prompt.
- On Windows 8.1 and 10 - Right-click the Windows button and select "Command Prompt."
- On Windows 7 and earlier - Choose "Command Prompt" from the Start menu.
Type .shutdown /i and press ↵ Enter. The Remote Shutdown feature will launch in a separate window.
Click the "Add" button. This allows you to include the computer you want to manage the shutdown process for on the network.
- You can add as many computers as you want, as long as they are configured for remote shutdown.
Enter the computer name. Input the name of the computer and click "OK" to add it to the list.
- You can find the computer name in the "System" window (press the key combination ⊞ Win+Pause).
Configure shutdown options. There are several settings you can adjust before sending the shutdown signal:
- You can choose to shut down or restart the target computer.
- You can warn users that their computer is about to shut down. This option is highly recommended if you know someone is using the computer. You can adjust the display time of the notification.
- You can add a reason and comments at the bottom of the window. These will be logged, which is important if the computer has multiple administrators or if you want to review your actions later.
Click "OK" to shut down the target computer. The computer will either shut down immediately or after the warning time you set has elapsed.
Shut Down a Windows Computer Remotely from Linux
Prepare the computer for remote shutdown. Follow the steps outlined in the first section of this article to set up the Windows computer for remote shutdown.
Find the computer's IP address. You need to know the target computer's IP address to shut it down from a Linux machine. There are several ways to determine this:
- Open Command Prompt on the target computer and type ipconfig. Look for the IPv4 address.
- Access your router's configuration page and locate the DHCP client table. This table will display all devices connected to the network.
Open Terminal on your Linux computer. The Linux machine must be connected to the same network as the Windows computer you intend to shut down remotely.
Install Samba. This protocol is required to connect to the Windows computer. Use the following command to install Samba on Ubuntu:
- sudo apt-get install samba-common
- You will be prompted to enter the Linux computer's administrator password to proceed with the installation.
Execute the remote shutdown command. Once the Samba protocol is installed, you can run the shutdown command:
- net rpc shutdown -I IP address -U user%password
- Replace IP address with the target computer's IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.25).
- Replace user with the Windows computer's username.
- Replace password with the Windows computer's user password.
Shut Down a Mac Computer Remotely
Open Terminal on another Mac within the network. Terminal can be used to shut down any Mac computer you have administrator access to on the network.
- You can find Terminal in the Applications > Utilities folder.
- You can also perform this on a Windows computer using an SSH protocol program like PuTTY to connect to the Mac via the command line. Check online for instructions on using SSH (such as PuTTY) on Windows. Once connected via SSH, you can use the same commands as on a Mac.
Type .ssh username@ipaddress. Replace username with the target computer's username and ipaddress with its IP address.
- You can find more online about locating the IP address on a Mac.
Enter the target Mac's user password when prompted. After entering the command, you'll be prompted to input the password for that user account.
Type .sudo /sbin/shutdown now and press ⏎ Return. The Mac will shut down immediately, and your SSH connection to the target computer will also terminate.
- If you want to restart the computer, add -r after shutdown.
Shut Down a Windows 10 Computer Remotely
Click on any empty space on the desktop. If the desktop is not active, you’ll need to close any open programs instead of accessing the shutdown menu. Ensure the desktop is active and all other programs are closed or minimized.
Press.Alt+F4 while logged in remotely. If using Windows 10 Remote Desktop, you’ll notice there’s no Shut Down option in the Power menu. To shut down the computer, you can use the new Shut Down Windows menu.
Select "Shut down" from the dropdown menu. You can also choose other options, including "Restart," "Sleep," and "Sign out."
Click "OK" to shut down the computer. Since you’re using Remote Desktop, the connection to the target computer will be lost.
Tips
- You won’t be able to shut down someone else’s computer remotely without their login credentials or administrator access to their system.
