How to Remote Reboot/Shutdown a Windows 11 PC

Tired of physically accessing your Windows 11 PC every time you need to reboot or shut it down? Don’t waste time anymore and conveniently manage remote Windows 11 or 10 PCs using these methods for tasks like remote reboot Windows and remote shutdown Windows.

Whether you’re managing multiple PCs in an office setting, accessing a PC remotely, or just don’t want to get up from your couch, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to be able to restart or shut down a Win 11 PC remotely. Luckily, there are several ways you can use to accomplish this task, from built-in Windows 11/ 10 features to third-party software tools.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through some of the most effective and reliable ways to remotely restart or shut down your Windows 11 computer, so you can save time, increase productivity, and reduce hassle. Whether you’re an IT professional or just a casual computer user, you’re sure to find a method that works for you.

Reasons to Remote Reboot/ Shutdown Windows 11

• You’re an IT admin of an organization and you need to remotely restart Win 11/ 10 PCs to apply Windows Updates.
• Being an IT admin of a business, you may also need to ensure there are no PCs running after office hours for energy savings and safety.
• You left your Win 11/ 10 laptop in a diner. Using the following remote shutdown methods, you can secure the device.
• Sometimes, you may forget to shut down your workstation at the office. In such a scenario, you can remotely turn it off from your laptop during the commute or from a home computer.

Now, let’s explore all the possible and proven methods to remote reboot Windows and remote shutdown Windows below:

How to Remote Reboot and Shutdown a Windows 11 PC

You can use the following methods for remote shutdown and remote reboot on any Win 11 and Win 10 PCs:

1. Using Remote Desktop Connection Tool

The Remote Desktop Connection tool is one of the best ways to remotely shutdown or restart a Windows PC. Here’s how:

• Open the Remote Desktop Connection tool on your local computer.
• You may search for it in the Windows Search (Windows + S) bar or find it in the Start menu (Windows flag key).
• Enter the computer name or IP address of the remote computer you want to restart.

• Click the Show Options button to expand the RDC tool settings.
• Now, choose the Local Resources tab and ensure you unchecked the Printers and Clipboard box.
• Click the Display tab and set the display size to Full Screen by sliding the screen resolution clip to the right side.
• Then, select the Experience tab and select LAN (10 Mbps or higher) from the dropdown list.
• Click the Connect button to initiate the remote desktop connection with the remote Win 11 or Win 10 PC.

• Once connected, press the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keyboard shortcut. This will open the Windows Lock Screen window.
• Click the Power button in the lower-right corner and select Restart from the dropdown menu.
• Don’t forget to confirm that you want to reboot the computer by clicking OK in the dialog box that appears.

Using the same process mentioned above, you can shut down a Windows computer remotely. Just select Shut down instead of Restart when you arrive at the Windows Lock Screen window.

2. Utilizing the Group Policy Editor Tool

You can use the Group Policy Editor tool on the host Windows PCs to set up remote shutdown or reboot once and then control the same from your admin PC in the same network. Here’s how it’s done:

Setup Group Policy on Remote PC

• Open the Run dialog box on the host PC by hitting the Windows + R keys.
• In the Open box, type the following service name and hit Enter:

gpedit.msc

• The Local Group Policy Editor shall now pop up on your screen.

• Go to the Windows Update group policy by navigating your way through Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components on the left side navigation panel.
• Expand the Windows Update on the left side and double-click Manage end user experience.

• On the right-side navigation panel, double-click Configure Automatic Updates.
• Inside the Configure Automatic Updates dialog box, click Enabled.

• Then, under the Options section, set the following as guided below:
  • Configure automatic updating to 4 – Auto download and schedule the install
  • Set a Scheduled install day
  • Also, set a Scheduled install time
• Click the Apply button and then hit the OK option to close the dialog box.

Execute Restart or Shutdown Commands on Admin PC

Once you’ve done the above on the host or target remote Windows PCs, perform the following steps on the admin Windows PC to remotely shutdown or restart the target computer:

• Click Start and type Command.
• Select the Run as administrator hyperlink for the Command Prompt tool.
• Now, copy and paste the following command to restart the remote PC:

shutdown /m \ComputerName /r /t 0

• The command won’t work until you hit the Enter key.
• To shut down the target PC, use the following command instead:

shutdown /m \ComputerName /s /t 0

• Whenever using the above command, don’t forget to replace the ComputerName code placeholder text with the actual computer name of the remote PC.
• You should find the name of the computer in the directory of the organization network.
• Alternatively, hit the Windows + Pause keys together on the target PC to find its name and record that on a list in your admin PC.

3. Utilizing These PowerShell CMDLets

If both the target and admin computer is linked to the same local or global intranet network, then you can use the Windows PowerShell tool to shut down or reboot a remote PC. Find below different PowerShell cmdlets you can use:

The most popular command you can try is the following. You must replace the computername placeholder text with the actual remote PC name on your network.

Restart-Computer -ComputerName computername -Force

To shut down a PC, use this PowerShell code:

Stop-Computer -ComputerName computername -Force

Alternatively, if you know that Windows PowerShell Remoting is active on all the networked PCs of your organization or home, you can use the following cmdlet on the admin PC to restart a remote PC. Again, replace computername with the target PC’s name on the organization network.

Enter-PSSession -ComputerName computername
Restart-Computer

4. Using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) Method

You can use the Run command on the target remote PC to allow remote code executions by disabling certain User Account Control settings. Then, from the admin computer, you can invoke the shutdown /i command from the Run command tool. This will give you access to a GUI to restart or shut down PCs remotely. Find below a complete step-by-step guide for this:

Set Up the Target PC

• Open the Run command box on the remote PC.
• Type and execute the following cmdlet in the Open box:

reg add HKLM\Software\Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\system /v LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

• Simply hit Enter. You won’t see any activities though.

Execute From Admin PC

• On the admin PC, again open the Run tool and execute the following cmdlet:

shutdown /i

• On the Remote Shutdown Dialog box, click Add.

• Type in the name of the remote PC you want to reboot or shut down and click OK.
• Now, choose between Shutdown or Restart options in the What do you… dropdown list.
• You can checkmark Warn users… option and choose a timeout screen for the warning like 30 seconds.
• Under the Shutdown Event Tracker section, select a justified Option and write a Comment for the selection Option.
• Click OK to invoke the remote reboot or shutdown command.

Remote Reboot/ Shutdown Win 11: Final Thoughts

Remote reboot Windows and remote shutdown Windows are too valuable IT technical skills for anyone who needs to control Windows PCs from a distance. You can use any of the above ideas because all of them are effective and reliable. If you don’t want to buy or install third-party apps, try out the built-in tools of Windows 11. If you’re okay with third-party software like TeamViewer or AnyDesk, you get more flexibility like saving PCs for remote access from anywhere using a PC or mobile.

Give the above methods a shot and share your experience in the comment box below. If you also know a few other ways to remotely restart or turn off Windows PCs, don’t shy away from mentioning that in your comment.

Next up, How to Enable/Disable Efficiency Mode in Windows 11.