Executing a batch script on Windows shutdown

Question

Is there any way, in Windows 7 Professional, to run a batch script (e.g., a .BAT file) when the user clicks on "shutdown" (not a batch file scheduled to shut down the machine, just one that runs only if the user clicks on "shutdown")?

Ideally, such a script would show the command prompt window and offer an option to cancel the shutdown procedure.

Solutions that do not require a third-party utility would be preferable.

Did you manage to prevent the shutdown? If yes, how did you do it? Thanks — Alex, Jul 02 '13 at 11:38
If you want to prevent users from shutting down the computer, you can disable access to it in the start menu through Group Policy. Go to _User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar_ and look for **Remove and prevent access to the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate commands**. This will hide those options from the start menu. If you need to allow them to restart, you can add a batch file to the _All Users\Desktop_ folder to call the command `shutdown.exe \r \t 10` which will force a restart of the computer after 10 seconds. — Slicktrick, Feb 07 '17 at 16:14
OK, how do you debug the scripts then? Even just dumping the output to a file would help. — RoboJ1M, Jul 04 '18 at 09:20
Related question https://stackoverflow.com/q/52581235/45375 asks how to _script_ (automate) the installation of a shutdown script (without the added requirement of presenting a visible console window to the user). — mklement0, Oct 01 '18 at 18:06

bahrep · Accepted Answer · 2022-11-09T16:06:46.540

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You can create a local computer policy on Windows. See the TechNet at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/dn789197(v=ws.11)

Run gpedit.msc to open the Group Policy Editor,
Navigate to Computer Configuration | Windows Settings | Scripts (Startup/Shutdown).

enter image description here

edited Nov 09 '22 at 16:06

answered Sep 15 '12 at 05:56

bahrep

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Is there any way to prevent the shutdown from within a script attached to tbis Shutdown event? I have tried a batch file with shutdown /a but it doesn't seem to work. – Alex Jul 01 '13 at 21:46
4

thanks. Note you will need `Win Professional` or `Ultimate` to do this. If you have standard home version (like I did), then you can manually add the group policy editor from [here](http://www.askvg.com/how-to-enable-group-policy-editor-gpedit-msc-in-windows-7-home-premium-home-basic-and-starter-editions/). – benscabbia Dec 01 '15 at 21:07
5

Very helpful in scripting a `savestate` for a VirtualBox VM before shutdown. Thanks! – jbwebtech Jan 09 '17 at 00:40
2

How would I be able to do this on "sleep" instead of "shutdown" ? – doubleOrt Jan 21 '18 at 18:37
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Note that, as mentioned [in this question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/101647/how-to-schedule-a-task-to-run-when-shutting-down-windows), if you want a batch script to run at Logoff, I found referencing the .bat file directly didn't work. However, if I used `C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe` as the Script Name and `/C C:\path\to\batch\script.bat` as the Script Parameters, it did – Nova Oct 08 '20 at 07:19

score 5 · Answer 2 · edited Sep 30 '18 at 21:39

Well, its an easy way of doing some registry changes: I tried this on 2008 r2 and 2016 servers.

Things need to be done:

Create a text file "regedit.txt"
Paste the following code in it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\State\Machine\Scripts]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\State\Machine\Scripts\Shutdown] 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\Scripts\Shutdown]     

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\State\Machine\Scripts\Shutdown\0]  
"GPO-ID"="LocalGPO"    
"SOM-ID"="Local"    
"FileSysPath"="C:\\Windows\\System32\\GroupPolicy\\Machine"    
"DisplayName"="Local Group Policy"    
"GPOName"="Local Group Policy"    

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\State\Machine\Scripts\Shutdown\0\0]    
"Script"="terminate_script.bat"    
"Parameters"=""    
"ExecTime"=hex(b):00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00    

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\Scripts\Shutdown\0]
"GPO-ID"="LocalGPO"    
"SOM-ID"="Local"    
"FileSysPath"="C:\\Windows\\System32\\GroupPolicy\\Machine"    
"DisplayName"="Local Group Policy"    
"GPOName"="Local Group Policy"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\Scripts\Shutdown\0\0]    
"Script"="terminate_script.bat"    
"Parameters"=""
"IsPowershell"=dword:00000000
"ExecTime"=hex(b):00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

Save this file as regedit.reg extension
Run it on any command line using below command:
```
regedit.exe /s regedit.reg
```

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 27 '14 at 15:43

Create your own shutdown script - called Myshutdown.bat - and do whatever you were going to do in your script and then at the end of it call shutdown /a. Then execute your bat file instead of the normal shutdown.

(See http://www.w7forums.com/threads/run-batch-file-on-shutdown.11860/ for more info.)

score 3 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 28 '23 at 13:14

3

I found this topic while searching for run script for startup and shutdown Windows 10. Those answers above didn't work. For me on Windows 10 it worked when I put scripts to task scheduler. How to do this: press Windows key and write Task scheduler, open it, then on the right is Add task... button. Here you can add the scripts. PS: I found the actions for startup and logout user, there is none for shutdown.

edited Apr 28 '23 at 13:14

s.dragos

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answered Mar 01 '18 at 10:01

paka

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I can not find the `logout user` option when doing this. Is it called something else or how do I find it? – Kajsa Apr 04 '18 at 15:59

score 3 · Answer 5 · answered Nov 11 '20 at 15:10

Programatically this can be achieved with SCHTASKS:

SCHTASKS /Create /SC ONEVENT /mo "Event[System[(EventID=1074)]]" /EC Security /tn on_shutdown_normal /tr "c:\some.bat" 

SCHTASKS /Create /SC ONEVENT /mo "Event[System[(EventID=6006)]]" /EC Security /tn on_shutdown_6006 /tr "c:\some.bat" 

SCHTASKS /Create /SC ONEVENT /mo "Event[System[(EventID=6008)]]" /EC Security /tn on_shutdown_6008 /tr "c:\some.bat"

score 2 · Answer 6 · edited Mar 13 '18 at 03:11

For the above code to function; you need to make sure the following directories exist (mine didn't). Just add the following to a bat and run it:

mkdir C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy\Machine\Scripts\Startup
mkdir C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy\Machine\Scripts\Shutdown
mkdir C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy\User\Scripts\Startup
mkdir C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy\User\Scripts\Shutdown

It's just that GP needs those directories to exist for:

Group Policy\Local Computer Policy\Windows Settings\Scripts (Startup/Shutdown)

to function properly.

Executing a batch script on Windows shutdown

6 Answers6

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