From the command line, you can shut down or reboot any Windows Server 2003 computer (or even Windows XP or Vista machines) with the Shutdown.exe command. (Note: The exe file extension is optional for the Shutdown command.) Shutdown.exe contains a number of switches that allow you to specify different actions for the server when the Shutdown command executes. The Shutdown.exe switches are as follows:
| /? |
Displays the Help listing |
| /i |
Displays the graphical user interface (GUI); it must be the first option |
| /l |
Logs off the current user; it cannot be used with the /d or /m options |
| /s |
Shuts down the computer |
| /r |
Shuts down and restarts the computer |
| /g |
Shuts down and restarts the computer and then restarts any registered applications |
| /a |
Aborts system Shutdown |
| /p |
Turns off the local computer with no timeout or warning |
| /h |
Hibernates the local machine |
| /e |
Documents the reason for shutting down the computer |
| /m |
Specifies the target computer; it is used with \\computername |
| /t xxx |
Where xxx is the number of seconds before Shutdown |
| /c “comment” |
Where “comment” is the reason for the Shutdown or restart |
| /f |
Forces running applications to close without warning users |
| /d [p|u:]xx:yy |
Provides the reason for the Shutdown action: p = planned; u= unplanned; xx supplies the major reason code; yy = supplies the minor reason code |
When you enter a Shutdown with no arguments, the Help listing will display. The Help listing also includes the reason codes available for use with the /d switch. The reason codes are shown below:
| Reasons on this computer: |
|
|
| E=Expected |
U=Unexpected |
P=Planned |
c=Customer Defined |
| Type |
Major |
Minor |
Title |
|
|
|
|
| U |
0
|
0
|
Other(Unplanned) |
| E |
0
|
0
|
Other(Unplanned) |
| EP |
0
|
0
|
Other(Planned) |
| U |
0
|
5
|
Other Failure: System Unresponsive |
| E |
1
|
1
|
Hardware: Maintenance(Unplanned) |
| EP |
1
|
1
|
Hardware: Maintenance(Planned) |
| E |
1
|
2
|
Hardware: Installation(Unplanned) |
| EP |
1
|
2
|
Hardware: Installation(Planned) |
| P |
2
|
3
|
Operating System: Upgrade (Planned) |
| E |
2
|
4
|
Operating System:
Reconfiguration (Unplanned) |
| EP |
2
|
4
|
Operating System:
Reconfiguration(Planned) |
| P |
2
|
16
|
Operating System:
Service Pack (Planned) |
| U |
2
|
17
|
Operating System:
Hotfix (Unplanned) |
| P |
2
|
17
|
Operating System:
Hotfix(Planned) |
| U |
2
|
18
|
Operating System:
Security Fix(Unplanned) |
| P |
2
|
18
|
Operating System:
Security Fix(Planned) |
| E |
4
|
1
|
Application: Maintenance(Unplanned) |
| EP |
4
|
1
|
Application: Maintenance(Planned) |
| EP |
4
|
2
|
Application: Installation(Planned) |
| E |
4
|
5
|
Application: Unresponsive |
| E |
4
|
6
|
Application: Unstable |
| U |
5
|
15
|
System Failure: Stop Error |
| E |
5
|
19
|
Security Issue |
| U |
5
|
19
|
Security Issue |
| EP |
5
|
19
|
Security Issue |
| E |
5
|
20
|
Loss of Network Connectivity
(Unplanned) |
| U |
6
|
11
|
Power Failure: Cord Unplugged |
| U |
6
|
12
|
Power Failure: Environment |
| P |
7
|
0
|
Legacy API Shutdown |
|
You can use many of these switches in conjunction with one another when issuing the Shutdown command. A usage example for the Shutdown command follows:
Shutdown /r /c “Hanging Application or service” /t 30
This example would restart the local machine storing the comment provided with the /c switch. Windows would wait 30 seconds before initiating the restart. You might also create a batch file to use when it is necessary to restart a server in a remote location. The batch file might look like this:
Shutdown /m \\computername /r /c “Remote Restart” /t 45
By saving this command in a batch file, it can save you time if you routinely restart the same remote server.