Sigh. How do I restart or shut down the PC in Windows 8?


Recommended Posts

Both are just too complicated for non-tech. savvy users (or they simply won't know about Power Options etc. in order to do that).

They could do it in Windows 7, they'll struggle in Windows 8...

Maybe it's MS secret plan to keep people logged into windows longer, the first time I used 8 with the Charms bar, I had to Google how to shutdown too

Right corner/WinKey+C > Settings > Power

WinKey + W > Turn Off

WinKey + M > Alt + F4

WinKey+R > shutdown -h -t 0

WinKey + L > Power Options (IIRC)

Ctrl+Alt+Del > Power Button (right hand corner)

Press the hardware power button

...I think that's almost every option possible :p

Right corner/WinKey+C > Settings > Power

WinKey + W > Turn Off

WinKey + M > Alt + F4

WinKey+R > shutdown -h -t 0

WinKey + L > Power Options (IIRC)

Ctrl+Alt+Del > Power Button (right hand corner)

Press the hardware power button

...I think that's almost every option possible :p

Non of which are as intuiative as how it was in Windows 7 for PC/desktop users :p

Looks like everyone has you covered already. My next question would be, why are you installing Windows 8 already if you can't even figure this ou?

Tell that to the thousands and thousands of people who will be purchasing a new PC on October 26th of this year.

  • Like 3
Non of which are as intuiative as how it was in Windows 7 for PC/desktop users :p

And again, it's bothering you that bad that the old shutdown/reboot/sleep buttons aren't as in your face obvious as they used to be then just make new ones. You can do that. Takes all of three seconds.

This topic has derailed. You originally wanted to ask about how to easily restart the computer and have been given solutions, to which you then post about how typical Windows users won't get it.

We're not talking about "typical Windows users", we're talking about you, the person who asked. And by bringing them up, you've derailed a support thread into a complaint thread. We have plenty of those.

  • Like 3

This topic has derailed. You originally wanted to ask about how to easily restart the computer and have been given solutions, to which you then post about how typical Windows users won't get it.

We're not talking about "typical Windows users", we're talking about you, the person who asked. And by bringing them up, you've derailed a support thread into a complaint thread. We have plenty of those.

We're not just talking about me, because I have been into computing for a very long time and if people like me are struggling with something so simply, we're talking about millions of users.

I totally agree that anyone who has never used 8 before will be lost looking for the power options, I was, but thinking about it, its my least used setting in Windows, so having it out of the way isn't too bad really, unless you have another screen to the right of the main one and your using a mouse to access the charms bar

I totally agree that anyone who has never used 8 before will be lost looking for the power options, I was, but thinking about it, its my least used setting in Windows, so having it out of the way isn't too bad really, unless you have another screen to the right of the main one and your using a mouse to access the charms bar

Which I am and it's a right bugger :p

We're not just talking about me, because I have been into computing for a very long time and if people like me are struggling with something so simply, we're talking about millions of users.

Without resorting to this, how do I restart or shut down my PC in Windows 8?

Key word: I

Please make it clear that you are talking about users other than yourself. We entered this thread to offer advice to you.

  • Like 2

Because I, like many users on this forum, am the person people go to for computer help.

yes, and when those people come to me, I will show them exactly where to go and that will be the end of it

I don't see how clicking 'start' to stop a computer is more intuitive.

lol, but then there are things like "Windows update must first download an update for windows update before windows update can download updates for your system"

  • Like 2

It's different, but not really complex. People don't constantly shut down/reboot their PCs, it's something that's done maybe once, or a handful of times a day at the very most. An extra step or two isn't a big deal.

We're not just talking about me, because I have been into computing for a very long time and if people like me are struggling with something so simply, we're talking about millions of users.

You would have known the answer if you had payed any attention to the tutorial the first time you fired up Windows

You would have known the answer if you had payed any attention to the tutorial the first time you fired up Windows

Don't even get me started on the fact the "hot corners" need a tutorial... :rolleyes:

I don't see how clicking 'start' to stop a computer is more intuitive.

because it starts the shutdown process :) :p

i have started seriously using windows 8 today with the RTM for testing and orientation. Although i must admit i couldn't find the shutdown option and had to google it, unlike when i first used windows 95 when it was first released, there was only one button start and it was quite obivious when clicking it.

I understand that Windows 8 is targeting slate devices as well but surely Windows 8 could have detected that it was running on a standard PC and had a couple of easier options for shutdown in a more visible place.

That aside i have found windows 8 less jaring, i am using it with the office 2013 beta at work again to get my bearings for future help desk calls, so far so good. Wished they would have done more work on Win8's version of hyper-v, being able to run Server VM's is handy but i was hoping to run client VM's a bit better for testing etc.. however it still treats these as server vm's, no sound and an annoying experience. Performance seems great though and am slowly getting used to the start menu for my source of quick information instead of gadgets.

Before i was don't like it, now im indifferent, at this rate i may even like it :D

Have you considered pressing the power button on your PC? Default setting is too shut down the PC.

But sometimes, I want to Restart. Or Sleep.

So this topic still needs to exist so people (including myself) can find those options.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • New AMD graphics driver fixes install issues and FSR 4.1 crashes on RX 7000 GPUs by Taras Buria AMD is rolling out yet another graphics driver. Version 26.6.4 is now available for download, bringing two important fixes. One is for those still using Windows 10 and having trouble installing driver 26.6.2. In fact, this patch is coming from the recently released hotfix, so it is not new if you are already running version 26.6.3. The second fix is for RX 7000 owners. AMD recently brought FSR 4.1 support to the previous-gen graphics cards, but there was a bug with certain games crashing when using FSR 4.1. I experienced this issue with Forza Horizon 6, so today's driver should take care of that. Here is the official changelog: Intermittent install issue seen when installing AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.6.2 on Windows® 10 systems for Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products. Intermittent application crash may be observed in some games with AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1 enabled on Radeon™ RX 7000 series graphics products. Known issues include the following: Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing Battlefield™ 6 on AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. AMD is actively working on a resolution with the developer to be released as soon as possible. Texture flickering or corruption may appear while playing Battlefield™ 6 with AMD Record and Stream on some AMD graphics products. AMD FSR Upscaling and AMD FSR Frame Generation may show as inactive in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition while playing Battlefield™ 6 when enabled on Radeon™ RX 9000 series graphics products. Failure to install may be observed while installing AI Bundle components in some regions with limited access to HuggingFace and GitHub. Model flickering or rendering failure may be observed in Maxon Cinema 4D and Blender on Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products. Users experiencing this issue are recommended to install AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.3.1. Intermittent application crash may be observed on some models while running Blender on Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products. Users experiencing this issue are recommended to install AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.3.1. You can download the AMD Radeon driver 26.6.4 from the official website here. Full release notes are available on the same page.
    • Amazon may use OpenAI and Nova models after Anthropic reportedly raises costs by Karthik Mudaliar Amazon is reportedly considering to use OpenAI models and even its own Nova family of AI models after Anthropic raised the cost of using Claude inside Amazon services. According to a report from The Information, Amazon is weighing its options to reduce costs under a new arrangement with Anthropic. But back in April, Amazon said it would invest $5 billion more in Anthropic, with the possibility of adding up to another $20 billion if certain commercial milestones are met. That investment actually came on top of another $8 billion Amazon had already put into the Claude maker. Anthropic, meanwhile, committed to spend more than $100 billion over 10 years on AWS technologies, including Amazon’s Trainium chips. Amazon isn't just a customer of Anthropic but also one of the most important backers and cloud partners. This is why it makes it interesting that Amazon is considering other alternatives to handle its internal workloads. Although Amazon has been building its own options for a while now. Its Nova family of AI models was announced in late 2024 for Amazon Bedrock, with models aimed at text, image, and video tasks. Amazon pitched the model around cost and latency at that time. With that said, OpenAI has also become a more realistic option recently for AWS customers as well as for Amazon itself. Earlier this year, OpenAI brought its latest models and Codex coding agent to Amazon Bedrock, after changes to its previously more restrictive Microsoft cloud arrangement. This allowed AWS to serve even those customers who wanted other alternatives from Claude, without having to move workloads out of Amazon's cloud. Evaluating alternatives could also be due to commercial pressure and not necessarily a sign of a damaged partnership between Amazon and Anthropic. Whether or not Amazon is actually considering switching entirely to OpenAI's models or its own Nova models remains unknown at this moment.
    • Samsung introduces new AI classroom tools and interactive displays at ISTELive 2026 by Fiza Ali Samsung has announced several new education-focused software features and interactive displays for schools during ISTELive 2026, taking place in Orlando, Florida, from 28 June to 1 July. The focus of these updates is on making shared classroom displays easier to use for teachers while giving IT administrators more control over managing devices. One of the key additions is the Samsung Account Management Solution (AMS). In many schools, multiple teachers share the same interactive display throughout the day, which means signing in and setting everything up can become repetitive. With AMS, teachers can log in by scanning a QR code or tapping an NFC-enabled ID card. Once signed in, their personalised workspace, including wallpapers, bookmarks, app shortcuts, and files, can be instantly accessed through Home Personalisation. Samsung has also included a screen lock feature, allowing teachers to lock the display if they need to step away briefly. Furthermore, the company is also updating its Education Portal with new tools designed for school IT administrators. The portal will allow IT administrators to register teachers, enrol devices, and manage user access from a central dashboard. Administrators can also link NFC cards to teacher accounts, making sign-ins quicker across shared displays. Another addition is a Tags feature that lets schools organise displays by building or classroom. Those tags can also be used to send emergency notifications to selected Samsung Interactive Displays through compatible platforms such as InformaCast and Raptor. Moreover, the tech giant's AI Assistant is gaining several new features aimed at supporting everyday classroom tasks such as lesson planning and classroom engagement. One of the features is Circle to Search, which lets teachers circle text or images on the display to quickly find related information, videos, or web results without interrupting the lesson. The content can then be brought into Samsung Whiteboard. Another feature, Live Transcript, converts spoken lessons into real-time captions, which could be useful for students with hearing impairments or those in multilingual classrooms. The AI Assistant also introduces AI Summary and AI Quiz. The summary tool creates summaries of recorded lessons, while AI Quiz generates questions based on lesson content so teachers can quickly check how well students are following along. Teachers signed in through Samsung AMS can also return to their previous AI-generated lesson materials without logging in again. Alongside the software updates, Samsung has expanded its Android-based Interactive Display range with three new models: the WAF-S, WAFX-PS, and WAHX-M. The WAF-S and WAFX-PS ship with Android 16, bringing updates to security, accessibility, and overall usability while maintaining compatibility with Google's education services including Google Classroom and Google Drive through EDLA certification. Meanwhile, the new WAHX-M is the biggest addition to the lineup, introducing a 98-inch display for larger spaces such as lecture halls and conference rooms. It will also be available in 65-inch, 75-inch and 86-inch sizes. Samsung says the WAHX-M further includes on-device AI features such as voice commands, text-to-speech, and an AI calculator, alongside support for Samsung AMS and AI Assistant. Samsung AI Assistant has been available since April, while Samsung AMS and the updated Education Portal will begin rolling out in July.
    • It's been $24 (single) or $89 (4-pack) for many days on both Amazon and Walmart as far as I know. That isn't a big discount. If these end up like the 1st gen, the 4-pack will routinely get down around $80, give or take a dollar. I think they have even hit $69 at times.
    • Microsoft brings Claude to its own Azure infrastructure, powered by Nvidia GB300 Blackwell by Karthik Mudaliar Anthropic's Claude models are now generally available in Microsoft Foundry on Azure and are running on Nvidia's GB300 Blackwell Ultra systems. Nvidia wrote in its announcement that the models are hosted on Microsoft Azure and accelerated by GB300 Blackwell Ultra GPUs, with Quantum-X800 InfiniBand networking used to support larger agentic systems and specialized sub-agents that can operate across business domains. This is great for customers and enterprises that want to build autonomous and domain-specific AI agents using Claude without moving outside Microsoft’s cloud platform. Microsoft currently offers Claude models in Foundry in two forms: “Hosted on Azure,” which runs end-to-end on Azure infrastructure and is generally available, and “Hosted on Anthropic infrastructure,” which remains in preview. This separation is quite important for organizations that have procurement, compliance, data processing, or internal governance requirements tied to Azure. Anthropic currently has 11 Claude models listed in Microsoft Foundry, including Opus 4.8, Sonnet 4.6, and even the unavailable Mythos and Fable models. Billing is handled through Claude Consumption Units (CCUs). Microsoft says CCU is an invoicing unit for Claude models in Foundry, with token usage converted using Anthropic’s published per-model token rates. The usage is billed through Azure Marketplace just like models from other distributors and appears on the customer's Azure invoice, while eligible spend can count against a Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment. For starters, GB300 NVL72 is a rack-scale, fully liquid-cooled system that combines 72 Blackwell Ultra GPUs and 36 Grace CPUs. Nvidia has listed 37TB of fast memory, 130TB/s of NVLink bandwidth, and FP4 Tensor Core performance of up to 1,440 petaflops with sparsity. The deal is also part of a three-way partnership between Microsoft, Nvidia, and Anthropic. Under the deal, Anthropic has committed to buying $30 billion in Azure compute capacity and contracting additional capacity up to one gigawatt. Nvidia and Microsoft also said they would invest up to $10 billion and $5 billion in Anthropic, respectively.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      536
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      269
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      150
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      98
    5. 5
      macoman
      65
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!