Handy Windows Shortcuts / Commands

This page is intended to be updated as and when we come across handy Windows commands useful for general Windows usage.

Create a Shutdown Shortcut

1. Create a new shortcut
2. Enter the following for the location:
   • %windir%\system32\Shutdown.exe -s -t 00
3. Set the name to Shutdown, click Finish.

Change the icon, otherwise, it will use the icon reserved for dll files.

Create a Restart Shortcut

1. Create a new shortcut
2. Enter the following for the location:
   • %windir%\system32\Shutdown.exe -r -t 00
3. Set the name to Restart and click Finish.

Change the icon, otherwise, it will use the icon reserved for dll files.

Create Lock Workstation shortcut

1. Create a new shortcut
2. Enter the following for the location:
   1. %windir%\system32\Rundll32.exe User32.dll,LockWorkStation
3. Set the name to Lock and click Finish

Change the icon, otherwise, it will use the icon reserved for dll files.

Create “God Mode” shortcut in Windows 10:

1. Create a shortcut on your desktop, name it:
   • GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
2. It should end up looking like this:

Lock a BitLocker Encrypted Drive Without Rebooting:

Scenario you unlock your Bitlocker encrypted drive to retrieve a file, but you don’t want to leave it in an unencrypted state while working on the computer. Once the drive has been decrypted (un-locked) Windows doesn’t provide a mechanism to lock the drive in the context menu:

Follow the below steps to create an “Encrypt” icon:

1. Create a new shortcut, and add the below to the “Type the location of the item field”:
2. cmd.exe /c manage-bde -lock d:
   • ***Replace d with your BitLocker drive letter.***
3. Hit Next, give it a name like “Lock Drive”.
4. The command needs to be run as admin, right-click the shortcut > Properties
5. Hit “Advanced”, then check the box for “Run as administrator:
6. OK
7. Change the icon if you would like, otherwise, it will use the default icon used for cmd.exe
8. Done