Shutdown Options

[TheSaint]

Shutdown Options v6.4 is a great program to give you control over how and when your PC shuts down, reboots or logs off. It has many options. You will need to be logged on as admin, to be able to access and change some options.

Before shutting down, it can

1) Wait for 10 seconds and then do it automatically (if selected). All you had to do, is just double-click your desktop icon.

2) Use a timer to countdown to the number of minutes and seconds you specify first.

3) Do a screenshot at the end of the timer countdown.

4) Clear the virtual memory pagefile.

Before shutting down or rebooting, it can

1) Check for and eject any discs in trays. This can be disabled for just the current shutdown only (not saved to settings) or permanently (saved to settings).

Before shutting down, rebooting or logging off, it can

1) Kill any open programs, etc (be sure to save your work first).

2) Close any specified processes that it finds running.

3) Set other programs or processes to run first. It waits for them to finish, so make sure they exit on their own.

4) Clear the recent documents list or detect and use my Wipe Recent program (which gives you much finer control).

Windows XP feature

Before rebooting or logging off, it can

1) Setup the system to automatically login to the same or different user (dependant on passwords or admin access). Their is a hidden switch for those in the know to use admin powers - if the admin password is stored. All passwords are stored encrypted within the program, and are erased from the registry after logging back in.

Windows 98SE features

Before shutting down or rebooting, it can

1) Setup a clean boot, which can be left that way or restored on the next boot. This can be completely clean - Registry & Start Menu startup entries, or just one or the other.

Hidden Switch

You'll note, that if you attempt to login into another user that has a password, you will not be able to check the checkbox to do so. However, if an admin password is set in the program, you can get around this by clicking on one of the text labels. The one in question, is the after 10 secs (or cancelled) Automatic countdown text.

Screenshots

Main Window (full)

Main Window (mini)

Timer Options

Run Before Options

Download from here.

WARNING!

If your OS is Windows XP, then please read the accompanying ReadMe.txt file before using the AutoLog option. It may even be wise to print it out or keep a copy on another PC. It is pretty simple to restore your settings if something goes wrong, but you need to know what you are doing - I suggest you become aware of the registry keys that get changed (see the reg file that gets made on first use), and learn about them (only a few).

If things go bellyup, then by holding down the SHIFT key during bootup / logoff / login, you can get the login box to appear.

TAKE NOTE, that this program was initially created many years ago on a Windows 98SE machine. At that point, it was just a DOS batch file with far less options. Later on it incorporated the DOS program MSGBOX, which gave it slightly better control with a few basic buttons (Yes, No, Cancel). Not long after that I became aware of AutoIt v2.63 in a PC magazine, so that became incorporated too. I did at some point start a VB6 version, but I don't think I ever finished or used it. When the AutoIt GUI ability became available, it was very quickly changed over to just AutoIt only. Since then, from time to time, I added different features - the last being screen capture before shutting down, which is handy if your run a program like CDCheck which may have found errors on a burnt DVD (which can take a long time to scan if many small files), and doesn't have it's own shutdown ability. You can check the screenshot the next time you bootup to see if all had been ok.

In this latest version of Shutdown Options (v6.4), I have made sure that some options are disabled if not suitable for the current OS. This is for safety reasons in some instances, either because that feature doesn't work with that version of Windows or it still remains untested and updated. It may be that the Autolog options work with Vista for instance, but I need confirmation of this before enabling them. The registry changes between Win98SE and WinXP are significantly different, and so I have not got around to adapting the Clean Boot options yet, to cater.

Shutdown Options can be decompiled, for those who wish to tinker at their own risk - I cannot be held responsible for what you adjust and do/or do not understand.

Enjoy!

Edited March 1, 2009 by TheSaint

[FireFox]

Great app !! Ive tested it successfuly with no error on xp

Edited December 15, 2008 by FireFox

[TheSaint]

Great app !! Ive tested it successfuly with no error on xp

Thanks, I should have added it to the forum years ago ... I think it's so much better than the multi-click (better aim just right) normal method of shutting down, etc.

The holdup was the clean boot options, which I still haven't got round to updating for XP - never had to use them thus far (that's probably why).

[TheSaint]

I forgot to add a request.

On my home system, we all have power user accounts for surfing the web, plus I have another account as Admin.

I recently made a chat post about an issue I didn't fully understand and couldn't find a work-around for. Now that I've made the program in question available, any assistance with that issue would be appreciated.

See here.

I'd be interested to here from others who have more than one Admin account, in regard to the above issue - whether they can log from one to the other without getting presented with a login box. Rebooting seems to work OK, but I've only tested this on a one admin system.

Oh yeah, I just remembered to reveal the location of hidden admin switch (see first post).