How do I set a shutdown timer in Windows 11?

Open Free Auto Shutdown, choose Turn Off, select a relative time or exact schedule, and click Apply after saving your work.

Can I schedule Windows to shut down every night?

Yes. Select a daily or weekly recurring schedule and choose the time you want the PC to shut down.

Can I use a Windows command instead?

For a one-time timer, the Windows shutdown command is sufficient. A visual scheduler is more convenient for recurring plans and multiple power actions.

How to Schedule Automatic Shutdown in Windows 11/10

In this guide1. Download and open the scheduler 2. Choose the shutdown action 3. Select a one-time or repeating schedule 4. Review and apply the timer

Before you begin: Save open files. Do not schedule a shutdown during Windows Update, a BIOS/firmware update, disk repair or another operation that must not be interrupted.

1. Download and open Free Auto Shutdown

Download Free Auto Shutdown from this website, run the installer, and open the application. The current build supports Windows 11 and Windows 10.

2. Choose “Turn Off”

Open the Action menu and choose Turn Off. The same menu also includes Restart, Standby and Hibernate when you need a different power action.

Choose Turn Off in Free Auto Shutdown on Windows 11 or 10

3. Choose when the PC should shut down

Use Relative Time for a countdown from now or after a restart. This is useful when you expect a download or conversion to finish in a known number of minutes.

Set a relative shutdown timer in Free Auto Shutdown

For a repeating plan, select Every week on, choose the weekdays, and enter the clock time. This can be used for a nightly or end-of-workday shutdown schedule.

Schedule an automatic Windows shutdown on selected weekdays

4. Review the date and time, then apply

For a one-time calendar event, choose On a specified date and select the date and time. Allow at least two minutes. Check the schedule carefully, save important work, and click Apply. The utility runs in the background and shows a reminder before execution.

Apply a specified date and time for automatic shutdown

When the built-in Windows command is enough

If you only need a one-time countdown, press Win + R and run shutdown /s /t 3600 to request shutdown after 3,600 seconds (one hour). Run shutdown /a before the countdown finishes to abort it. Use the visual scheduler when you need recurring weekdays, a calendar date, reminders or several power actions.

Frequently asked questions

Can I schedule a shutdown every night?

Yes. Select a repeating daily or weekly schedule, set the desired time, and leave the utility running.

Will it wait for a download to finish?

The timer uses the time you set; it does not inspect another application's progress. Estimate the completion time and add a safety margin.

What if I still have unsaved documents?

Save your work before activating the schedule. Do not rely on an automatic shutdown to save open documents.

Ready to set the timer?

Get the Windows 11/10 shutdown scheduler directly from the official product site.

Download Free Auto Shutdown

How to schedule automatic shutdown in Windows 11/10