Scheduling Windows Vista Shutdown with Vista Shutdown Timer

The command "shutdown.exe" in command prompt can be used in Windows XP and Vista to log off, shutdown, restart, abort system shutdown, set timeout for shutdown to XX seconds.

In Windows XP, we can use the -t switch to specify the amount of seconds for time-out period before the computer shuts down. You can specify any number of seconds of your choice. However in Windows Vista, the -t switch has been limited to only 0-600 seconds with a default value of 30 seconds. If you want to schedule your computer to shutdown maybe an hour later, you can use Windows Vista Task Scheduler to do it. Start Task Scheduler from Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Task Scheduler. Create a basic task, enter any name and description, select one time, enter the date and time that you want to shutdown the computer, select Start a program, browse for shutdown.exe which is usually located at C:\Windows\System32\ and add the shutdown arguments.

It is a hassle to go through all that just to schedule a one time shutdown. Here is a free and easy to use tool that can help you shutdown your computer without the 0-600 range limit.
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