countdown timer

how can I make my computer turn off automatically at midnight. Preferably
with a password.

"kev" wrote in message
news:1C035126-8CAF-49E5-8491-72D5E2A2D631@microsoft.com...
> how can I make my computer turn off automatically at midnight.
> Preferably
> with a password.

Schedule an event in Task Scheduler to run the 'shutdown.exe' command.
In a DOS shell, run 'shutdown /?' to see what parameters it takes. When
you define the event, you will be asked for your login password. If you
are a limited account and need to run the program under an admin account
then specify Administrator as the account and specify its login
password. All scheduled events run under *some* account and use its
password to authenticate the program can run under that account.

As an alternate, and rather than a specific time but instead after a
period of inactivity, you could use power options to put the computer
into hibernation mode after the computer has been idle for too long.

"kev" <kev@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1C035126-8CAF-49E5-8491-72D5E2A2D631@microsoft.com...
> how can I make my computer turn off automatically at midnight. Preferably
> with a password.

After implementing and testing Vanguard's excellent suggestion,
think about expanding on your original idea. Sooner or later you
will do some work at midnight and you won't much like it when
the computer shuts down while you have unsaved data. Maybe
an automatic warning message 15 minutes before midnight would
be a good idea.