There are times when the computer crashes or behaves unexpectedly and you need to restart Windows. The emergency shutdown utility is a small VB script that shuts Windows down and performs a system restart. You can edit the script to operate differently if required, but as it stands it shuts Windows down immediately without prompting or giving you time to save any unsaved data in your applications, which are automatically terminated.

The script can be triggered with the "Emergency system shutdown" item placed in the utilities folder of the WintextCom program group by the Installation Wizard. The wizard enables you to press Ctrl+Alt+F10 to launch the script at any time from whatever you were doing. Use the shortcut's property sheet if you need to change the shortcut key.

This is intended as an emergency measure. Unless the system has crashed so badly that it will not respond to any keyboard input at all, pressing the accelerator assigned to this script may be the simplest way out of the fix, it would usually be much preferred to abruptly switching the PC off or disconnecting the power supply and then switching back on. Beware that the script performs a correct shutdown, but any unsaved data is lost as it will force closure of any open application without prompting. This is sometimes the only way out if an application has caused the system to hang, but the script is not intended for regular use where unnecessary loss of data could occur, if it is possible to close down in your usual way, it is the preferred method.

You can copy the shortcut to the desktop for easier access with the mouse if preferred. The script can come in handy if there is no easy-to-use and safe reset button on the PC and you are not sure what to do in a situation where the system is not responding as expected, particularly for visually impaired users where the screen access software has stopped providing meaningful feedback. If you are forced to try this remedy via the keyboard accelerator and you cannot detect the response, it is suggested that you wait at least 2 or 3 minutes to see if the computer restarts before resorting to power termination.

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Emergency Shutdown