Wang Kai

If you think you may restart or shutdown the Windows XP or windows Vista  in remote control mode by just clicking the “Restart” or “Shut Down” option in Windows Start menu, then you are WRONG!

You may check by yourself to see if you are provided with these two options in XP or Vista. Yes, there is actually no “Shut Down” or “Restart” option in Windows Start menu of the remote computer when you are in the Remote Control mode throught RDP. The only option you get are “Log Off” and “Disconnect” in Windows XP, or “Log Off” and “Lock” in Vista. (In Windows Server 2003 however, we do have an option of “Shut Down”)

How to restart / shutdown Windows in Remote Desktop Connection?

There are many options, and I’m here giving you three simplest methods in doing this:

1. While you are in the Remote Windows Desktop, press CTRL+ALT+END hotkey combination to bring up the GUI menu with options for “Restart” and “Shut Down”. Next? It’s all in your control.
2. Type shutdown /i command in the “run” dialog box of Windows XP Start menu, or the Search textbox of Windows Vista Start Menu: This will also bring up the GUI where “Restart” and “Shut Down” options are provided.
3. If you prefer a more straightforward way in reboot or shutdown your PC without interact with GUI (so as to appear to be more professional?), simply type shutdown -r -t 0 for reboot and shutdown -s -t 0 o shutdown.This is for an immediate reboot or shutdown. if you want some delay, change 0 to something else then (say 60 for one minute delay).
   

Previous versions of Windows XP also provides “Restart” and “Shut Down” options in Windows Task Manager, and I used to use them to reboot / shutdown Windows. But unfortunately they are somehow removed in the current version of Windows XP with SP2/SP3. I don’t know why. Probably by the same reason as that they do not provide “Restart” or “Shut Down” option in Start Menu?