RELATED: How to Edit the Win+X Menu in Windows 8 and 10 Shut Down from the Ctrl+Alt+Delete or Login Screen There’s no particular advantage to shutting down this way, but at least you know that it’s an option.

Some people call this the “ Power User Menu.”Īfter bringing up the menu, select “Shut Down or Sign Out,” and then choose “Shut Down” from the sub-menu. You can also shut down your Windows PC from a hidden menu that pops up if you right-click the Start menu or press Windows+X on your keyboard. After a moment, all apps will close, and the PC will power off. Next, click “Shut Down” in the small secondary menu that appears. In the Start menu that pops up, select the power icon (a circle with a small vertical line intersecting its top) in the left side of the menu. To use it, first, click the Start button, which is the button with the Windows logo on it in the corner of your screen. Within Windows itself, the most obvious way to shut down your PC comes courtesy of the Start menu. RELATED: Yes, It's Okay to Shut Down Your Computer With the Power Button Click the Power Icon in the Start Menu If that’s the case, you might be better off using a shutdown option in Windows as listed below. The only catch is that the power button on many laptops doesn’t usually shut down the machine-instead, it often puts the laptop to sleep or turns off the display. (They can also be configured to perform another option, such as putting your PC to sleep.) These days, PC power buttons are wired to send a signal to the operating system to begin a shutdown process when you push them. Long ago, you always had to shut down Windows within the software itself before flipping your PC’s power switch so that you didn’t lose any data. Perhaps the easiest way to turn off your Windows PC is by pushing its physical power button.

Press a Physical Power Button Olivier Le Moal /

Windows computer