Normal way of shutting down Windows (no matter if it is XP, Vista or 7) is clicking on Start Menu button (or orb in Vista and 7) and selecting to shutdown. This way of shutting down may take a considerable time because of all the clicking and selecting to do. You can create a shortcut on your desktop for a faster shutdown using the process described below :
- Right-click on an empty area on your desktop and select New → Shortcut.
- In the Create Shortcut dialog, type shutdown -s -t 01 as shown and click Next.
- In the next dialog, type Shutdown Windows and click on Finish.
Now you can click on the shortcut on your desktop and your Windows will immediately shut down and power off. Be careful, not to accidently double-click on this icon. It is a better idea to keep this shortcut in a different corner of your desktop.