Create Icons for Shutdown and Reboot
If you find it annoying to access the Start Menu for shutting down or rebooting the computer, create a shutdown and reboot icon for the desktop.

Desktop Shutdown Icon
Right click on the desktop
Click [New] [Shortcut] to open the Create Shortcut Wizard
Type [shutdown -s -t 00] without the brackets.
Click [Next] and type a descriptive name of your choosing for the shortcut
Click [Finish]

Add a bit of class to the shortcut by assigning it a custom icon. Right click the shortcut, click [Properties] and select the [Shortcut] tab. Click [Change Icon] and select from the icons that are displayed.

Desktop Reboot Icon
Right click on the desktop
Click [New] [Shortcut] to open the Create Shortcut Wizard
Type [shutdown -r -t 00] without the brackets.
Click [Next] and type a descriptive name of your choosing for the shortcut
Click [Finish]

Add a bit of class to the shortcut by assigning it a custom icon. Right click the shortcut, click [Properties] and select the [Shortcut] tab. Click [Change Icon] and select from the icons that are displayed.

A Final Note:
If you happen to be as fanatical as I am about having nothing on the desktop, drag the new icons into the Quick Launch area of the Taskbar.

Courtesy of: Elder Geeks

Yeah, and just wanted to add for "newbies" out there ...


For all this programs, part of Windows OS (shutdown, format, etc., etc., maybe also for commandline-shell "in-built" ones, didn't try yet), you can always get parameters (also called switches) with /? or -? after command (note: empty space is REQUIRED ...)

/EDIT: Yes I forgot, it is surely possible. For all in-built commands (ComSpec=D:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe), you can get help by simply typing help infront of command you need to know its optional paramenters.

Like here below, for some of the most common commandline shell commands:

help cd
help dir
help move
help copy
help xcopy



1. So in cmd.exe go, or don't go to %SYSTEMROOT% it doesn't matter (btw., what is %SYSTEMROOT%, well, type in StartMenu --Run and you will see), cause shutdown.exe is placed in Windows dir by default, and Windows dir is set as part of path environment variable), or simply in StartMenu -- Run, and type:

shutdown /?


and you will get:

F:\SystemVar\>shutdown -?
Usage: shutdown [-i | -l | -s | -r | -a] [-f] [-m \\computername] [-t xx] [-c "comment"] [-d up:xx:yy]

No args Display this message (same as -?)
-i Display GUI interface, must be the first option
-l Log off (cannot be used with -m option)
-s Shutdown the computer
-r Shutdown and restart the computer
-a Abort a system shutdown
-m \\computername Remote computer to shutdown/restart/abort
-t xx Set timeout for shutdown to xx seconds
-c "comment" Shutdown comment (maximum of 127 characters)
-f Forces running applications to close without warning
-d [p]x:yy The reason code for the shutdown
u is the user code
p is a planned shutdown code
xx is the major reason code (positive integer less than 256)
yy is the minor reason code (positive integer less than 65536)




2. If you decide to [u]not put -t 00, as parputt suggested (it means no delay), and you put 30 (seconds) instead of 00, then it is also one very usefull parameter:

shutdown -a (note: no -s or -r)


... which aborts current pending shutdown command (wonder if that would permanently (and not just temporary) help with Win32 MSBlast worm "family")



3. and the optional -f switch (as you can read above):

shutdown -f -r (or -s)


... which will force all running apps on local computer (logged account) to close (eh, without warning). Usefull in some particular situations (when Windows starts behaving strangly, locks-up, and nothing else helps, though shell is still responing - hehe, for you to be able to execute this command AT ALL)



HTH

I use Steve Gibson's user-friendly Wizmo utility (get it at www.grc.com/wizmo/wizmo.htm) for easy to set up desktop icons that shut down and reboot my computers.

This utility can also be configured for several other tasks, including a custonizable screensaver.

I have the shutdown and reboot icons sit right above the Start button in the corner of my desktop, and after using them for about the last two years, I've decided I can't live without them!