Windows Fast Shutdown tip

If you want to shutdown your computer in a fast way try this:

In Windows XP, right-click on the Desktop and choose New | Shortcut from the pop-up menu. Browse to the file C:Windows System32Shutdown.exe, click Next, name the shortcut, and click Finish. Now right-click on the new shortcut and choose Properties. In the Target box, append the command line switch -l (to log off), -s (to shut down), or -r (to reboot).
If you also add the switch –t xx (where xx is a number of seconds), Shutdown.exe will display a warning and count down the specified number of seconds before activating. You can specify a comment to be displayed with the warning by adding the switch -c “Your text”. The countdown behavior is particularly useful if the shutdown program is launched through the Scheduled Tasks applet. For example, a library computer might be scheduled to shut down 10 minutes before closing, with a 60-second warning. Once the countdown has begun, the only way to stop it is to launch the program again with the -a (for abort) switch on its command line.

Shutdown.exe is included with Windows XP, and you can add it to Windows NT 4.0 or 2000 via the corresponding Resource Kit.

Source: PC Magazine

I suggest you add a shortcut key like “CTRL + ALT + END” to this shortcut to make things even more easy.