Shutdown Computer Automatically

For the work reason that you often go out to handle affairs at work time but cannot be back to the office on time, shutting down the computer automatically is not just an option, but also a necessity. Of course, you could choose to shut it down before you leave the office, however, if the computer is downloading files or processing something which cannot be interrupted, you cannot help but restart to download or process it again the next day. So if there's a program set to shut down the computer at the time you expect, you can solve the problem.

Fortunately, the good news is, yes, there're some high quality, easy to use programs available that you can download for free and start using them to complete shutting down the computer at a specified time. You may download a dedicated shutdown program, or use Task Scheduler + DOS command "shutdown" in Windows alternatively . Here, you may use Macro Expert to do it easily.

Macro Expert supports the action of shutting down computer, and Macro Expert features a powerful scheduler which allows a macro to be launched at a specific time. What you only need to do is to build a macro and insert a shutdown command into it, and then attach a schedule rule on it. The macro will be launched to perform the shutdown task.

Step 1: Creating an empty macro

Open "Macro Manager", click the menu "Script', and then choose "Create Blank Macro".



Then the dialog "Properties" pops up for asking some properties to the new macro. Here name the new macro as "Shutdown Computer", and then click "Ok".



The program will ask you with the message "Do you want to edit the script now?", you choose "Yes" to edit the macro now.

Step 2: Inserting the action into the macro

After opening the Script Editor, click the menu "Insert", and point "System", then choose "Shut Down Computer".



So, the shutdown action is successfully insert into the macro, close the editor now, the message "Do you want to save the change to the file?" pops up, choose "Yes" to save the macro.

Step 3: Assigning a schedule rule to the macro

Now the macro has been built, and the shutdown action is added too. The next step you need to do is to set the time for launch the macro (shutting down the computer). Return to "Macro Manager", click the new macro named "Shutdown Compter" which is placed in the macro list, and then click the button "Properties" on the toolbar.



In the "Properties" dialog, switch to the tab "Scheduler", and then click "Add" to add a schedule rule.



After clicking the button "Add", the schedule window pops up. There're several kinds of schedules listed in the schedule type, such as "No schedule", "Minute", "Daily", and "Weekly" and etc.. Here, suppose you want to shut down the computer at 18:00 daily. You choose the schedule type as "Daily". And type a start time 01/11/2007 18:00 in the field "The day of next launch", and then choose the option "Every week days" (Monday to Friday) in the section "Launch this macro". Now click "Ok" to save the rule and back to the dialog "Properties", then click "Ok" to save the changes.

So far, you have built macro for shutting down computer. It will be launched every week day at 18:00.