PC Sleep also allows you to schedule sleep and hibernate modes, so it's the one to go for if you're looking for that functionality. Both are free, and work in a similar way to the Command Prompt method. If you'd prefer to use third-party software, the likes of PC Sleep and Sleep Timer are great options. Right-clicking either icon and choosing 'Properties' will also allow you to give it a custom font and design. You may also want to create a similar shutdown-a shortcut, to allow you to quickly cancel the shutdown timer.

The icon will now appear on the desktop and double-clicking it will perform that command.

On the following screen, give the article a name of your choosing (e.g.

In the window that appears, type the same shutdown -s -t (number of seconds) command as before and click 'Next'.

Hover over 'New' and then choose 'Shortcut'.

Right-click any free space on the desktop.

If you often need to leave your device for a while before shutting it down, it's worth creating a shortcut for the process listed above.

How to create a Windows 10 shutdown shortcut You'll get a confirmation that the shutdown timer has been cancelled. To cancel either, just open the same window, type shutdown -a and hit enter. If you'd like to restart your device with a delay, use shutdown -r -t XXXX, with the 'XXXX' again referring to the number of seconds before your device will begin restarting. This won't affect anything you can do on the device, and you can close the Command Prompt window if you'd like.

Hit enter, and you should get a pop-up notification to confirm that your PC will turn off after the specified amount of time.

For example, if it's one hour, type in shutdown -s -t 3600

In the window that appears, type shutdown -s -t XXXX, replacing the 'XXXX' with the number of seconds before you'd like the PC to shutdown.

In the search bar next to the Start Menu, type 'command' and click the relevant option.

The easiest way to set a shutdown timer is to use the Command Prompt program built into Windows 10: How to schedule Windows 10 shutdown - Command Prompt It's not an official feature of Windows 10, but can easily be configured without downloading any additional software.

That's where scheduling your device to shutdown comes in.

Has there ever been a time where you wanted your PC to turn off after a set amount of time? Perhaps you want to leave it to download a large file overnight, or maybe you'd like to keep your device running while you're out of the house for a few hours.

Cancel shutdown windows 10