How to restart remote Desktop without login
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There will be times as a Windows Administrator that you will need to reboot or shutdown a remote computer or server. Show
In this tutorial, I’ll show you two easy methods for rebooting and shutting down remote computers. The first method uses a built in Windows command and the second method uses PowerShell. Check it out. Windows Shutdown CommandWindows systems has a built in shutdown command that can be used to restart or shutdown local and remote computers. The command is shutdown. To use this command just open the windows command prompt and type shutdown. To view the full list of command options type shutdown /? in the CMD window. There are several command line switches, below I list the most useful options. /s – Shutdown the computer /r – restart computer /m \\computer – Specify the remote computer /l – Log off /t xxx – Set the time out period before shutdown to xxx seconds /c “comment” – Message to display on the screen before restart or shutdown Now lets move onto some examples Restart or Shutdown Examples with Command LineIn these examples, I’ll be on PC1 and will initiate a remote restart or shutdown on PC2. I’ll be using the /r switch in these examples, you can change them to /s to shutdown instead of restart. Example 1: Restart Remote ComputerBy default, this will prompt the remote computer and give it about a minute before it restarts. The pop up below is what a Windows 10 system will display.  Example 2: Restart With a Custom MessageYou may want to display a custom message to the logged on users, to do that just use the /c command. shutdown /m \\pc2 /c "The IT department has initiated a remote restart on your computer"Below is the pop up on the remote computer with the custom message. Example 3: Immediate Restart no CountdownIf you want to immediately restart with no countdown or message use this command. shutdown /r /m \\pc2 /t 0If you want a longer countdown just specify the seconds /t 60 Example 4: Log user off remote computerIf you just want to log a user off the remote computer use this command. shutdown /l /m\\pc2Restart or Shutdown with PowershellHere are a few examples of how you can restart or shutdown computers with PowerShell. The downside to PowerShell is it doesn’t have as many options as the shutdown command. There is no option to prompt users with a custom message or provide a countdown. Example 1: Use Powershell to restart a computerThis command will immediately restart a remote computer. The -Force option will force a restart even if a user is logged on. Restart-Computer -ComputerName REMOTE_COMPUTER_NAME -ForceExample 2: Use PowerShell to shutdown a computerThis command will shutdown a remote computer. Use the -Force to force a shutdown even if a user is logged on. Stop-Computer -ComputerName REMOTE_COMPUTER_NAME -ForceExample 3: Use PowerShell to restart a list of computersThis is handy if you have several computers to restart. Just list all the computers you want in a text file and add that to the PowerShell command. restart-computer (get-content c:\work\computers.txt)Example 4: Use PowerShell to shutdown down two computersStop-Computer -ComputerName "Server01", "Server02"Have fun!
Unfortunately, the remote computer’s Start menu only shows options to "Log Off" and "Disconnect". It does not offer the standard "Shut Down" options: Log off, Shut down, Restart, Stand by, Hibernate. If you press Ctrl+Alt+Del, the command is captured by the local machine and not the remote one. There are several ways to shut down the remote computer. These 2 methods are the simplest I’ve found:
The answer Marcus Adams gave also has a keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+End. You do have to be in full screen and/or have the RDP session set to Apply Windows key combinations on the remote computer. This effectively sends a Ctrl+Alt+Del to the remote computer (so it's handy to know for other occasions/uses too). From there, as Marcus said, you can get to Restart, Shutdown, etc. from the little red power button icon in the lower right corner. Alternatively, you can click once on the Desktop (or the Taskbar) of the remote computer, then press Alt+F4 and you get the old-fashioned pop-up with all the shutdown options in the drop down. Update: as noted in the comments, Ctrl+Alt+End in Windows 10 only gives you the option to Disconnect. You can't Restart or Shutdown from there. I also can't find a Windows Security option in the Start Menu... But no worry, as mentioned the Alt+F4 method still works, and I use that exclusively now (I remote in for work every day, and also manage multiple machines at home).
Gone out and left your PC running? Need to reboot the system remotely, perhaps to exit a running program? Several options are available for remotely restarting a Windows computer, using built-in tools and third-party apps. Let's look at three ways you can remotely restart a PC running Windows 10. 1. How to Remotely Restart a Computer With the IP AddressThe first way to remotely restart a computer is specifically for users on the same network. For example, you might have left your laptop running in the dining room but are now using the desktop upstairs. To shut down remotely, use the Windows shutdown.exe tool. The basic use of this tool is straightforward, but several functions are available so that you can tailor the shutdown command. Start by opening the PowerShell tool. Right-click Start, then select Windows PowerShell. Essentially, from a command prompt or an application, you can issue the shutdown command using the syntax: shutdown /r /f /m \\[remotecomputerIP] -t 00
(Most of these commands will work in the deprecated Windows Command Prompt. Simply substitute the forward slash "/" with a hyphen "-".) Use these commands carefully. For example, you may want to give anyone sat in front of the computer the option to cancel the reboot. The one drawback of this approach is that you need to be connected to your remote computer with administrator privileges. When you prefer to keep tight security on your PC or server, this isn't always easy to accomplish. 2. How to Restart Your PC Using Remote DesktopNeed to restart your PC remotely but feel uncomfortable with the command line approach? Your best option here is a remote desktop. RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is Microsoft's proprietary protocol for remote desktop access. Mostly, this is used over a network. (For internet use, you'll need to set up port forwarding on your router, covered in more detail below). RDP is built into Windows desktops, so simply launch it from the Start menu (use the "rdp" search command). With RDP running on your PC, input the IP address or hostname of the PC you're remotely restarting. You'll also need the username and password when prompted. With the remote PC connection established, use your mouse to reboot the computer in the usual way. Other remote desktop tools are also available. All of them can restart your PC remotely over the internet. Many of these options will also have a dedicated menu command to restart or shut down your computer with a single click. 3. Remotely Reboot Your Computer Through a Web Browser with ShutterAnother way to remotely restart your computer is by installing a free application created by Denis Kozlov called Shutter. This is a remote scheduling tool that gives you access to remote actions and events. For example, you might check CPU usage (action) or trigger a remote shut down (event). With Shutter installed on your target PC, you can perform various remote functions on your computer via your browser. First, don't worry about the settings on this screen because these are for when you use the application locally. However, your interest is in using Shutter as a server that gives remote access to your PC from any browser. To set this up, click on Options > Web Interface. Here, select Enable, choose a Listen IP from the list and enter whatever port you'd like to use. Port 80 is most common since it's the default. However, if you want added security you can use some obscure port. Finally, set your Username and Password (required), click Save and the application is ready---it's as easy as that! Download: Shutter Configure Shutter for Remote PC RestartTo use from outside of your home network, you'll need to open a "hole" to access Shutter through your router. To do this, open your router page (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, depending on your router's brand) and configure port forwarding. Consult your router's documentation for the exact steps for your router model. Just make sure the IP and port you defined in Shutter is defined here and that it's enabled. Once you save, the setup is complete. Now you can go to any web browser and send not only a "restart" command to your computer but also a whole list of other commands. To access Shutter remotely, open a browser and input the IP address and port specified earlier. For example: 192.168.1.103:8080 From an external location, like a library or from work, enter the ISP-assigned external IP followed by the port. This might be: 65.xxx.xxx.122:8080. The web interface will appear after you log in with the ID and password you defined. Not sure what your external IP is? Just visit whatismyip.com in your browser. Note that you will need a static IP for accessing Shutter from beyond your local network. Here, you can perform various remote tasks, from shutting the PC down to muting volume or running a specific program. To remotely restart Windows using the Shutter Web Interface, click Reboot, then Execute. Job done! Three Smart Ways to Restart Your PC RemotelyAs you can see, remotely rebooting your PC is remarkably easy with Windows 10:
However you choose to reboot your PC, it's a smart option to ensure the security on the computer is regularly updated. If you're restarting it to prevent access, why not use one of these methods to automatically lock your Windows PC?
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