How To Shutdown, Restart, Log Off And Lock Windows 8 From Metro UI

If you are new to Windows 8 then you are likely to have problem finding the shutdown, restart, log off and lock options as Microsoft has made them more difficult to find for lay users. This is perhaps because of the Tablet PC based user interface of Windows 8 and the fact that Microsoft may be looking to expand towards the portable device market for selling their operating system. In this post I will tell you how to find Shutdown, restart, Log Off, Lock Screen and other power options (such as hibernate and sleep mode).

To access Shutdown, Restart, Hibernate and Sleep options, click the new Start button, followed by Settings.

Settings

Now, click on Power Options to Shutdown, Restart and Hibernate your computer or to put it into Sleep mode. It must be noted that the Hibernate and Sleep options are not visible by default, to enable these options check out my post: How To Use And Enable Hibernate & Sleep Mode In Windows 8.

Hibernate

To access Log Off and Lock Screen options hit Windows Key (from keyboard) or click Start from the new Start Menu, and scroll left to the end of the Metro Tiles using the slider at the bottom of the Metro UI. Now, click on the user icon to view options which will allow you to not only Lock the Screen or Log Off from your computer but also to Change User Tile (user picture) and to add a new user.

Logg Off

Alternatively, you can also hit the Win+L (for locking system) keyboard hot-key and  use CTRL+ALT+DEL to Sign Out, Switch User, Lock Screen, Shutdown, Restart, Change Password or open Task Manager.

The below video shows how you can Shutdown, Restart, Log Off, Lock and Sign Out of Windows 8.