This wikiHow teaches you how to restart another computer on your network from your own computer by using the Windows Command Prompt app. You cannot remotely restart a computer with Command Prompt if you haven't previously set the computer up to be remotely restarted, nor can you remotely restart a computer that isn't on your Internet network.

Part 1
Part 1 of 4:

Enabling Remote Restart

  1. 1
    Make sure that you're on the computer that you want to restart. Before you can remotely restart a computer on your network, you must set up the computer to receive remote instructions.
  2. 2
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  3. 3
    Type services into Start. Doing so searches the computer for the Services app.
  4. 4
    Click Services. It's a gear-shaped app at the top of the Start window. The Services window will open.
    • If this option doesn't appear, type services.msc into Start to force it to appear.
  5. 5
    Scroll down and click Remote Registry. It's in the "R" section of the main window. Clicking Remote Registry selects it.
  6. 6
    Click the "Properties" icon. It's a grey box with a folder on it just below the View tab at the top of the window. The Properties window will open.
  7. 7
    Click the "Startup type" drop-down box. This box is to the right of the "Startup type" heading in the middle of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.
  8. 8
    Select Automatic. Click Automatic in the drop-down menu.
  9. 9
    Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so enables remote restart on this computer.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 4:

Allowing Remote Restart in Firewall

  1. 1
  2. 2
    Type firewall into Start. This will search for the Windows Firewall app.
  3. 3
    Click Windows Firewall. It's an image of a brick wall and a globe. You'll find it at the top of the Start window.
  4. 4
    Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall. This link is in the top-left corner of the window. Doing so opens a list of all programs and services on the computer.
  5. 5
    Click Change settings. It's above the upper-right corner of the list of programs. Clicking it unlocks the list of programs.
  6. 6
    Scroll down to the "Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)" option. You'll find this near the bottom of the list of programs.
  7. 7
    Check the "Windows Management Instrumentation" box. It's to the left of this option.
    • If the computers you're using are on a public network, you'll also need to check the "Public" box on the far-right side of the page.
  8. 8
    Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. This computer will no longer block remote access in Firewall.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 4:

Finding the Computer's Name

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
    Click This PC. It's a computer-shaped folder on the left side of the File Explorer window.
  4. 4
    Click the Computer tab. This option is in the upper-left side of the window. A toolbar will appear below the tab.
  5. 5
    Click Properties. It's a red checkmark on a white box in the far-left side of the toolbar. This will open the Properties page for this computer.
  6. 6
    Note the computer's name. You'll find the "Computer name" section under the "Computer name, domain, and work group settings" heading in the middle of the page.
    • Make sure you write down the name exactly as it appears in this menu.
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Part 4
Part 4 of 4:

Restarting via Command Prompt

  1. 1
    Open another computer on your network. This computer must have administrative privileges, and it must be on the same network as the computer that you want to restart.
  2. 2
  3. 3
    Type cmd, then press Enter. This should open Command Prompt.
  4. 4
    Type shutdown /i into Command Prompt, then press Enter. This command brings up a window from which you can remotely restart the other computer.
  5. 5
    Click Add…. It's on the right side of the window. Doing so opens another window.
  6. 6
    Enter the other computer's name. Type the name of the computer that you want to restart into the text field in the window.
  7. 7
    Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window.
  8. 8
    Make sure the computer is set to restart. In the "What do you want these computers to do" section, click the drop-down box and select Restart if it isn't displayed here.
    • You can also check or uncheck the option to deliver a warning to the user of the computer before shutting down, or you can adjust the time limit to restart (the default is 30 seconds).
  9. 9
    Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. This will prompt the other computer to restart as soon as the selected time limit expires.
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Warnings

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About This Article

Jack Lloyd
Written by:
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. This article has been viewed 1,408,657 times.
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Co-authors: 20
Updated: June 4, 2020
Views: 1,408,657
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