As hardened as you are, you left in a hurry. For the umpteenth time, you left the computer on. You will stay away all day and before evening nobody can go to your room to turn it off. And now who does your parents hear them paying electricity bills every month? Next time, make a reminder on your phone! Come on, I’m joking and even trying to play down the situation a bit, do not worry, these things happen! In this case, you can make the best of a bad game. You will learn a new tech trick. It will let you turn off the computer remotely.

How do you say? I read you in thought and this is exactly what you just typed on Google? Modestly I am a magician, I must admit it. What you have is a common request. You are not the first to ask me how to turn off the computer at a distance. It is thus just to face a common difficulty that I decided to make this tutorial. Before you can worry, the answer to your question is “no, it’s not difficult and you don’t need technical skills”.

In this guide, I will explain how to do the procedure in question. It will be simple and quick. I will illustrate the steps you must follow, step by step: there is no margin for error. How do you say? Can not wait to get started and you’re really looking forward? All right, all right, all right, you’re right, it’s time to go straight to the action. Enough talk, now I leave you to the tutorial, but first I wish you, as usual, a good read and a good “work”.

How to turn off the computer remotely

There are different ways to turn off a computer remotely. For example, you can use the command prompt to set a remote shutdown. Or, you can use easier remote desktop programs.

In the first case, you must use a mix of strings based on the generic shutdown command (combined with the -i and -m tag, which I discussed in this guide). You then need to activate the remote registry service. Also, you must know your local IP address.

This procedure can be cumbersome and not immediately useful. It requires specific knowledge that is hard to explain in a simple guide like this.

Also, you may face some config issues. Some of the modules on your system are disabled and need to be activated.

Because there are so many factors that need to be considered, there is no practical method for anything that I can convey to you.

In any case, do not worry, this does not mean at all that I will leave you empty-handed. I have in fact several other alternatives in store for you.

What I recommend using, in the course of this tutorial, is a remote desktop sharing software. Performing a remote shutdown procedure of the computer, using a software of this type, is definitely easier to use.

It is a solution for everyone, not just those with technical computer skills. It lets you remotely turn off a computer without any issues.

I will now discuss some software. You can use it to access a PC’s remote desktop and shut it down quickly.

TeamViewer

One remote sharing software to shut down your computer is TeamViewer. This software is free for private (non-commercial) use. It runs on Windows, MacOS, and Linux computers. It also runs on Android, iOS, Windows 10 Mobile, and BlackBerry devices.

Then, download the version that best suits your needs. This will take you to the official TeamViewer website. If you want to use this software for your company, you must purchase a user license.

Having clarified this passage, we can move on. I will now discuss the installation of this software for Windows devices.

But, the method for accessing a remote Windows computer is very similar to that for other systems. You do not have to worry about anything; follow the procedures I am going to indicate to you carefully.

After choosing the Windows version, click Download TeamViewer to get the installer.

Once the file is opened, the installation procedure will start. Install this software on both devices. One is to be turned off remotely. The other is to send the shutdown command.

Meanwhile, let’s start talking about the procedure to be followed on the computer to be switched off remotely.

On this computer, install the software by checking the Install box to later check this computer remotely. Also, click on the item For private/non-commercial purposes, if you are using the free version of the software.

Then click on the Accept button and then on Yes, in the user account’s control window. Once the installation procedure is finished, start TeamViewer, in order to see the main interface of the program.

Now, in the left section of the program, display the ID and Password that are indicated under the heading Allow remote control. This information is what you need to access your computer.

But, before proceeding, I suggest you set a personal password. The one on the screen is generated randomly each time you open the software.

Then click with the right mouse button on ‘ An arrow icon next to the password and click Set personal password. Follow the on-screen procedure to set a password.

On the computer where you will run the shutdown command, perform the same installation procedure that you followed before. Make sure to select only the option to Install.

Also in this case, when opening the program you will see an ID and a password, but ignore them. What interests you is to access the computer to be turned off remotely.

Next, navigate to the box labeled “Check Remote Computer” and input the ID you previously noted. Following that, select Connect and type in the password you had previously created. After that, click Login to establish a remote desktop connection.

I remind you that a desktop share, also to shut down a PC, requires both computers to have an active Internet connection.

In addition, the computer on which you want to run the shutdown command must have TeamViewer running in the background.

The program window will show the remote desktop. You can turn it off at any time by following the usual procedure to shut down your operating system. When you shut down, the remote connection will automatically stop.

Chrome Remote Desktop

Another useful app is Chrome Remote Desktop. It can help you shut down your computer remotely, in a very simple and immediate way.

This free tool is in the Google Chrome browser. So, it works on all OSes with this popular browser (Windows, MacOS, and Linux).

Being an integrated tool for Google Chrome, it must be installed on both computers. Also, you need a Google account. Without it, you cannot configure the remote desktop.

If you don’t know how to create a Google account, read my guide on the topic. It explains, step by step, how to do it.

You can also access a computer remotely via a free app on Android and iOS devices.

To download this tool, you will need to connect to the official web address of the service. Then, click on “Remote Access” at the top. Click the down arrow icon to download the extension for Google Chrome.

You will see a message at the top on which you will have to click on Add extension. You will need to download a package that will install on your computer to manage remote sharing. After you install it, you will need to name the computer on your Chrome browser. Next, input a name and press the Next button.

Afterwards, enter the six-digit PIN that you will need to access your account. Then click the Start button, followed by the Yes button, to finish the process.

The computer currently in use is then ready to receive remote access. To access it from another device, you must use a web address. You need your Google account to view all devices registered for remote access.

You will then have to click on the computer name and enter the PIN you set up. Then wait for the upload to have complete remote control on the computer.

To shut down, just follow the usual procedure for the OS. Have you seen how easy it was?