dfg ShutDown XP

Automating power actions like shutdown, reboot or log off for the current user can be done in a variety of ways, including through the Task Scheduler that Windows comes with by default. However, oftentimes it is more easy to simply install a dedicated program and have it manage such tasks.

One of the applications built particularly for this type of operations is dfg ShutDown XP. It aims to provide all the necessary tools for scheduling the power actions and make the whole administration thing a tad easier for every user.

However, even if the installation procedure is quite straightforward, you will notice (upon reading the documentation after starting the app failed) that there are many prerequisites needed in order to have the program function correctly.

As soon as you run the utility you will notice the interface that hosts all the functions inside a rather small space, making things look a bit cluttered. The first thing you should do is pick the desired action you wish to schedule and then input the time for that task to be carried out at.

In case you need to have the PC power off, you should know that there is an option that can force the shutdown, so in case some applications or any running processes try to interfere and stop it, dfg ShutDown XP can still close down everything without any questions asked.

For those situations in which you wish to have a bit more computer time when the shutdown procedure starts, use the Countdown Counter feature. This will give you 10 seconds to cancel the job and keep the system alive.

To sum things up, this tool may prove to be useful, but there are some functionality and installation drawbacks that could deter many users form trying it, especially insofar as the extra components dfg ShutDown XP requires to run normally.