How To Shut Down Laptop From Keyboard? [Mac & Windows]

You can turn to keyboard shortcuts to shut down a laptop when it is not responding to a mouse or a touchpad or in case they are unavailable. Many key combinations, such as “Alt+F4” in Windows and “Ctrl+Option+Command+Power” in macOS, help shut down a laptop from the keyboard. 

Key Takeaways

• Keyboard shortcuts can be useful to shut down a laptop when your mouse/touchpad is not working, or the computer is not responding to its commands.
• Powering off via “Win+X,” “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” keys, or the “Command Prompt” are a few shortcuts you can use on a Windows laptop.
• Make sure to save all your unsaved files and close the current tabs before shutting down your laptop to maintain its healthy running.

How To Shut Down Laptop From Keyboard?

Using the “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” keys and creating a Desktop shortcut are among the several methods I will discuss in this section. Use these when you use your laptop’s keyboard to power the device off.

Also Read: How To Change The Color Of Your Keyboard

Windows Laptop

Windows laptop has a plethora of keyboard shortcuts you can use to turn off the system instead of using a mouse or a touchpad. Before proceeding, also read our similar guide on how to shut down a PC with a keyboard. 

Ctrl+Alt+Delete Keys

This key combination comes in handy when your laptop is stuck or frozen and is not responding to the cursor. While these keys are commonly used to access Task Manager, it also lets you shut down the computer.

1. Altogether, press the three keys on your keyboard, Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

   

2. You will see a message, “Preparing Security Options,” briefly.
3. Next, there should be five options on your screen. 
4. Notice the “Power” symbol on the bottom left edge of this window.

   

5. Navigate to it using the “Tab” and “Arrow” keys. 
6. Once highlighted, press “Enter.”
7. Select “Shut Down” to proceed.

Win+X Keys

Another way to shut down via the keyboard is by using the “Windows+X” keys. The side menu makes it quicker and easier to navigate to the power option.

1. Press the “Windows+X” keys together.

   

2. Notice a menu bar open up from the bottom left corner.
3. Go to “Shut Down Or Sign Out.”
4. Pick “Shut Down” from the mini-menu.

   

Also Read: How To Unlock Keyboard On HP Laptop [SOLVED]

Alt+F4

Press the key combination, “Alt+F4.” Once the dialog box appears, select “Shut Down.” Then, click “OK” to go ahead with the process.

From The Start Menu

This is the most common way of shutting down a laptop, though not everybody knows how to launch the “Start” menu from the keyboard. Hence, I have simplified the steps for you below.

1. Tap the “Windows” key to access the “Start” menu.

   

2. Use the “Tab” and “Arrow” keys to come to the “Power” symbol.

   

3. Hit “Enter” to view the “Power Options.”
4. “Shut Down” from the sub-box.

   

Create A Desktop Shortcut

Instead of going to different menus, you can just put up a shortcut on your Desktop and conveniently use it to turn off the laptop. Before proceeding, get an overview of how long laptops last.

1. Come to the “Desktop” and right-click anywhere on the screen.”
2. From the mini-menu, highlight “New.”
3. Choose “Shortcut.”

   

4. Type the code %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe /s /t 0 in the window and select “Next.”

   

5. Name the shortcut and confirm its creation by hitting “Finish.”

   

6. The icon will now appear on your “Desktop.” 

   

7. Clicking on it will force your laptop to shut down.

Also Check: How To Change Corsair Keyboard Color

Create A Shortcut Key

Specifying a shortcut key to turn off the computer is another method you can use. However, make sure to choose a key you do not use often to avoid shutting down your laptop unintentionally. 

1. Again, head to the “Desktop” and right-click on the shortcut you created in the above step.
2. Go to “Properties.”

   

3. A new window will pop up. Stay on the “Shortcut” tab.
4. Specify any key in the “Shortcut Key” section, such as “Number 4”.
5. Select “Apply” and “OK” to save the shortcut key.

   

6. Once set, you can press the specified key to shut down your laptop anytime.

Via The Power Button

You can force shut down your laptop by long-pressing the “Power” key on your keyboard. However, this is only recommended when your computer is not responding to any other key. Frequently forcing your laptop to shut down can affect its battery life and overall functioning.

Change Power Button Settings

Windows laptop lets you modify what you want to use the “Power” key for. For instance, with a few tweaks in its settings, you can directly turn off the laptop by simply pressing the button.

1. Go to the “Control Panel” from the “Desktop.”

   

2. Pick “Hardware And Sound.”

   

3. Click on “Power Options.”

   

4. Using the tab, head to the left pane and select the first option, “Choose What The Power Button Does.”

   

5. You will see two boxes next to “When I Press The Power Button.”
6. Select “Shut Down” from the drop-down in both boxes.
7. Hit the “Save Changes” button.

   

8. Now, pressing the “Power” key will shut down your laptop.

By Closing The Lid

Your laptop can be set up to shut down when the lid is closed. Use “Step 1 to Step 3” from the above section, then proceed with the following.

1. Just below the option “When I Press The Power Button,” you will see another setting, “When I Close The Lid.”
2. Set it to “Shut Down” as well through the drop-downs.
3. Press the “Save Changes” button on the bottom.

   

4. Closing the lid will now shut down your laptop.

Also Read: How To Connect Brother Printer To A Laptop Wirelessly

Via Command Prompt

Command Prompt can perform a long list of functions on your computer, though you have to enter the correct code for the desired task. 

1.  Launch the “Run” box by pressing the “Win+R” keys.

   

2. Type “cmd” and hit “OK” to open the Command Prompt window.

   

3. Execute the code “shutdown.exe /p /f” to perform a force shutdown.

   

macOS Laptop

I have got you covered, even if you own a Mac. Apple also offers many ways to power off its laptop via keyboard shortcuts, which I have mentioned below. On the other hand, learn what to do if your Mac is low on memory.

Ctrl+Option+Command+Power

Holding these four keys, “Ctrl+Option+Command+Power,” on your Mac laptop will give you access to the power options, including the choice to shut down the system. 

Power Button

Similar to a Windows laptop, long-pressing the “Power” button will force shut down a macOS laptop. Again, I want to remind you to save any open files to avoid losing important unsaved data.

Also Read: How To Perform Disk Check? [Mac, Windows & Linux]

Apple Menu

One of the options Apple menu offers is to shut down your macOS laptop. Thus, navigate to the menu to safely turn off your device.

1. Use the “Tab” and “Navigation” keys to move to the “Apple” menu on the extreme left of the top pane.
2. Press “Enter” to open the sub-menu.
3. Select “Shut Down.”

   

Use Terminal

Like Command Prompt in Windows, macOS offers Terminal to its users. There are different codes for each function you want the Terminal to carry out.

1. Start by launching the “Spotlight” bar with the “Command+Space” buttons.

   

2. Search for “Terminal.”
3. Enter the code “sudo shutdown -h time.” Instead of “time,” allocate a time limit after which you want your laptop to power off, such as 10 minutes (sudo shutdown -h +10). However, if you want it to turn off instantly, the code would be “sudo shutdown -h now.”

   

4. Type your password and hit “OK.”

Final Words

Conclusively, knowing how to shut down a laptop from the keyboard can be used when experiencing system freezes or if the system becomes unresponsive to cursor commands.