The short answer to this question is Yes, but with a few things you need to know, please keep reading.

Why did we need to shut a computer down?

In older versions of Windows, you were required to click Start, and then select the Shut Down option before you could turn off your computer. Shutting down this way was done because pressing the power button would cut the electricity to your computer instantly, which could cause data loss, file corruption, or even hardware failure.

Why do we no longer need to shut a computer down?

Nearly all computers running Windows XP or newer have something build in called ACPI (advanced configuration and power interface). This feature sends a signal from the power button to the computer, telling it to perform a shutdown. Thus, pressing your power button shuts the computer down for you.

My computer is locked, can I turn it off?

Turning off the computer manually is usually the only option you have when a computer locks up or encounters a serious error, like a BSoD (“blue screen of death”). However, we only recommend performing this action in sever cases due to the possible negative effects described in the previous sections.

If you press and hold the power button, it’s the same as cutting the power to your machine instantly. As we mentioned above, this can cause data loss, file corruption, or even hardware failure.

I have to turn off the computer because Windows doesn’t complete the shutdown

If you are having issues with Windows shutting down properly, see the following pages.

  • How to fix Microsoft Windows not shutting down.
  • How to fix Windows 98 freezing when shutting down.
  • See our shut down definition for further information and related links.
  • Microsoft Windows help and support.