Modern tablets and touchscreen laptops running Windows 11 include a hidden, highly satisfying gesture to power off the device. Known internally as “SlideToShutDown,” this feature allows you to pull down a large graphical blind over your screen to turn off the PC, similar to how you would power off an iPhone or Android device.
While Microsoft designed this primarily for touchscreens, you can easily enable it on a standard desktop PC and trigger it using your mouse.
How to Create a Slide to Shut Down Shortcut
The executable file for this feature is already buried deep within the Windows System32 folder. We simply need to create a shortcut to it on the desktop.
- Right-click anywhere on the empty space of your Desktop.
- Hover your mouse over New and click on Shortcut.
- A “Create Shortcut” wizard will appear. In the text box labeled “Type the location of the item,” carefully copy and paste the following exact path:
C:\Windows\System32\SlideToShutDown.exe
- Click Next.
- You will be asked to name the shortcut. Type “Slide to Shut Down” (or anything else you prefer) and click Finish.
How to Use the Feature
You now have a functional shortcut on your desktop, but the default icon is a generic, blank white square. Let’s fix that.
- Right-click your new shortcut and select Properties.
- On the Shortcut tab, click the Change Icon… button at the bottom.
- Windows will warn you that the file contains no icons. Click OK.
- A gallery of system icons will appear. Select a red power button icon (or any icon you like) and click OK, then Apply.
Now, whenever you want to turn off your computer, simply double-click that desktop icon.
Your screen will dim, and a beautiful lock-screen image will slide exactly halfway down the monitor, prompting you to “Slide to shut down your PC.” If you have a touchscreen, you can literally swipe the image all the way to the bottom edge of the glass. If you are using a standard mouse, simply click anywhere on the image and drag it downward to trigger the immediate shutdown sequence.