Shutdown is an exciting new command line program available in Windows 2003
and XP. I say exciting both in the sense that everyone loves this command,
and also exiting in the sense it has a dramatic effect - downs the server.
So take care when experimenting with this command.
Twenty dollars gets you fifty, that sooner or later you shoot yourself in the
foot and accidentally shutdown your own machine instead of the machine you
really wish to restart. So pay close attention to the syntax.
Shutdown /a Remember this is your get out of jail card, it aborts shutdown
Example: Shutdown /a /m \\ computername
Windows Server 2003 'Shutdown' Topics
Shutdown is a built-in executable in XP and Windows Server 2003. Your first
decision is do you want a simple shutdown? If so, use Shutdown /s.
Alternatively, should you desire the machine to restart then type Shutdown /r
After you issue the /s or /r, a dialog box appears with a 30 second count
down, remember to issue the Shutdown /a if you are just testing, or have made a
mistake. Watch out for the dialog box disappearing as you issue the
Shutdown /a instruction.
Now for the 'Remote' switch /m \\victim. The full command would be:
Shutdown /r /m \\victim. The slashes look slightly strange, but that's how
it works, in this example, 'victim' is the remote machine name. None of
this is case sensitive so sHUTDOWN /R /m \\ViCTim would work.
Note: There is no space between the backslashes and the computername
\\ victim would be a mistake.
For the local machine, try 127.0.0.1 e.g shutdown /s /m \\127.0.0.1.
Useful in batch files.
Examples for Shutdown switch
shutdown /s /m \\victim - Shuts down a remote machine
called 'victim'
shutdown /r /m \\exchange - Reboots a remote machine called 'Exchange'
Note: For once the sequence of switches is important shutdown /m /s \\
machine does not work.
/t for time. Is 30 seconds too short (or too long) a time?
You can adjust with /t: 60 to display the dialog box one minute. Maximum is 600
seconds.
/f for force. 'Mr Nasty', is coming - ready or not! Shutdown /r
/f as you may have guessed, restarts the machine and closes any programs without
warning.
/c for comment. Would you like to put your stamp on the shutdown?
Let people know who is in charge, who is shutting them down? /c " Guy is
shutting you down"
/d p:4:1 reason. Personally, I would avoid this switch, the syntax is
tricky the numbers obscure and worst of all it does nothing exciting. That
said the idea is sound, it enters a reason for the shutdown in the event log.
If you activate shutdown's help, then you will get a whole list of major and
minor reasons that you could employ with this switch. For me, this switch
is an option, an option that I do not take.
Note 1: Shutdown's switches work equally well with a dash, for
example, -d, -r or -a
(instead of /d, /r or /a)
This section deals with a different scenario. Imagine that you wish to
disable the annoying shutdown tracker found on Windows Server 2003.
As is so often the case, when you do not like a feature there is hidden way
of turning it off. In order to disable the Shutdown Dialog box, check out
your group policy. Ask yourself, would this be a Computer policy or a User
policy? The answer is Shutdown Event Tracker is a Computer policy.
Armed with this knowledge make sure that a) You select the OU which containers
the Windows 2003 server, b) You navigate to the Computer not the user part of
group policy.
Complete Group Policy path to disable Shutdown Event Tracker:
Local Computer Policy
Computer Configuration
Administrative Templates
System
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