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Ctrl+Esc, U, Enter: Shutdown Windows (XP and earlier)
This is a keyboard sequence, so let’s understand it in order:
- Ctrl+Esc opens the Start menu. (Instead, you could use the Windows key.)
- Pressing the u key selects whichever menu item has an underlined u. In this case, we want to select the “Shut Down…” command. The “u” in “Shut Down…” is underlined, which means you can press the u key key to select it. (Note that if your menu has other options that begin with a U, such as “User Preferences,” then you’ll have to hit u more than once and then hit Enter when Shut Down is selected.)
- A dialog box labeled “Shut Down Windows” or “Turn off computer” appears. Windows remembers the last option you selected when shutting down. If “Shut down” is the highlighted option, you can press Enter to select it. If the wrong option is selected, you can change the selected option with the arrow keys before you press Enter.
on February 24th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Sadly, this doesn’t work in Vista. After you hit the Windows key (or Ctrl-Esc in your example) all keyboard input then goes in to the search dialog.
on February 24th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
It doesn’t work that way on mine, but that is because I use UltraVNC so that program ends up on the start menu because I use it so often.
I have to hit ‘U’ twice to get to the right option.
on February 24th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
HiDefDog, thanks for the note. I don’t have Vista yet.
The About this blog page mentions which versions of Windows these keyboard shortcuts are intended for. After I get Vista (and learn the shortcuts), I’ll go back and update the blog.
I have to say I’m a bit upset that Microsoft (after 12 years of being more or less consistent) is breaking backwards-compatibility for keyboard shortcuts in Vista.
Tony, good point — I updated the original entry. For you, I recommend the following sequence instead: Ctrl+Esc, Up Arrow (which should always highlight the bottom menu item, which is Shut Down…), then Enter.
on February 24th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
I always use [windows key]+U, then U again to shutdown, and [windows key]+u, then s to standby. This seems to not make my hands move around the keyboard as much.
on February 24th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Hi BJ, by default, the Windows key+U keystroke is for the Utility manager in Windows XP.
on February 25th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I was also really disappointed about Vista. I figure I’ll get a shutdown command line utility and give it a hotkey via the Quick Launch toolbar (for a future WKSotD, WIN+ launches a Quick Launch shortcut in Vista).
Tony, I have a trick to get around that: right-click the icon of the program you use a lot that’s stealing a shortcut key (in this case UltraVNC) and pin it to the start menu. Then, right click the new pin entry and rename it. Change it to something that starts with an unused letter, like “Launch UltraVNC” or just “VNC Client”. You’ll know what it means, and it will restore your single-key shutdown.
on February 25th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
James, thanks for the great comment (and help with Vista, which I confess I know nothing about).
I actually do something similar with my Start menu: I rename them to put numbers in front of my added programs (and then sort them), so that the keyboard shortcuts for my most frequently used program is just the Windows key followed by a number. I have a few similar customization tips coming up.
on February 25th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Great shortcut! I’ve used this many times myself when a monitor/graphics card was on the fritz and i didn’t want to do a hard reset.
on March 12th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
It’s not perfect, but there is a way to shut down from the keyboard in Vista.
Press Alt+F4, then either R and Enter to restart or S, S, Enter to Shutdown.
-or-
Press the Windows Key
Press Right three times
Press R to restart or U to shutdown.
on April 9th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Thanks Kevin! That’s exactly what I was looking for.
on May 10th, 2007 at 12:13 am
http://productivity.ben61a.com/windows/vistashortcutkeys.php
website for vista shortcut keys
on June 28th, 2007 at 10:19 am
I can’t get my vista (premium) to shut down in any of the ways you guys posted. Right now the pc is not letting me click on anything except home, sleep and lock. Are there any other ways you can suggest without having to shut down via power button?
on May 1st, 2008 at 3:12 pm
So the memory trick for win95-2003…is
“Windows? You up?” or
|
For a “Blind Shutdown”.
ahhh
on May 1st, 2008 at 3:13 pm
grrr. didn’t take my special characters.
windows key plus U key plus uparrow plus enter
or ctl esc instead of windows key.
on May 1st, 2008 at 3:15 pm
estephen, might make a good title for this page lol, and
then have a (BV) and (AV) Before and After Vista (of course) sections of your hints.
on June 19th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Thanks Ranchy! I updated the title. I’ll do a Windows Vista version after I can test a bit. Thanks so much to everyone who contributed comments about Vista — great job!
on August 14th, 2008 at 4:01 am
[…] You may read more about the ways to shut down Windows XP, as well as about other interesting Windows keyboard shortcuts, on the Zeigen’s “shortcuts” blog. Share and Enjoy: […]
on April 10th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
My home computer is XP, haven’t tried your method but I’ll take your word for it that it will work.
My laptop is Vista, and I tested out the fastest way (that I know of) for the shutdown “shortcut” key:
CTRL + ESC (or windows button)
TAB x2
RIGHT x2
ENTER
I’m not sure if you have to do anything extra because I haven’t tried anything past the RIGHT x2. Too lazy to wait 5 minutes for my computer to start up again if I follow through… =P
on January 14th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Highly impressed, found your page on Bing.Glad I finally tried it out. Not sure if its my Chrome browser,but sometimes when I visit your site, the fonts are really tiny? Anyway, love your page and will return.Bye