Auto shut down after "x" minutes?

[krs]

Is there a way to automatically shut down the Mac after a predetermined amount of time, say 60 minutes?

The shutdown options in Energy Saver only allow one to set a shut down time; I need to be able to set an interval, essentially set a timer that when activated will shut the Mac off after the timer has counted down.
Requirement for this is for a 2018 MacBook Air running El Capitan.

 

[IWT]

Hi krs,

I suspect that this falls short of what you are after.

In System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy, Click on the Padlock (bottom left), input your Admin PW to unlock it, then > Advanced (bottom right).

You can activate "Log Out After" and set the time for what you want - 60 mins in your case.

Now, I accept this not a shutdown, but from a security point of view, it means that an Admin PW is required to get the Mac going again.

Best I can think go just now.

Ian

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Is there a way to automatically shut down the Mac after a predetermined amount of time, say 60 minutes?

The shutdown options in Energy Saver only allow one to set a shut down time; I need to be able to set an interval, essentially set a timer that when activated will shut the Mac off after the timer has counted down.
Requirement for this is for a 2018 MacBook Air running El Capitan.

Here's an app that might work.

‎Shutdown Timer

‎Ever watched a video and wanted your Mac to automatically stop? Ever downloaded something and didn't want your Mac to sleep while the download is running, but go to sleep afterwards? Ever had a lengthy task running (encoding a video, for example) and had to disable idle sleep so your Mac...

apps.apple.com

If you are ok using Terminal, I found an article that elaborates on how to do it. You could use Automator to run this as a script, then save it as an application. Then you can just run the app and start the timer that way.

How to set a shutdown timer for your Mac

Are you sick of Apple's Energy Saver shutdown schedule feature? No worries, there's better way to set up a shutdown timer. Here's how.

thenextweb.com

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Here's another article that walks through the process of creating a Desktop Shortcut to do it:

How to Set an Automatic Shutdown Timer on Mac?

How to set a shutdown timer for Mac? This article aims at showing you guys methods of how to make your Mac automatically start up, sleep, and shut down.

www.imymac.com

 

[krs]

Thanks Ian,

I looked at that but it doesn't work for me.
Mostly because it's a log out after x minutes of inactivity
I need something equivalent to a timer where I initiate the shut down time.

Just logging out I think would have been fine.

The specific situation is that the user listens to an audio book to help her go to sleep.
So after anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes she's typically asleep and then wants to turn off the computer because if the audio book keeps playing it eventually wakes her up again in the wee hours of the morning.
The problem with turning the Mac off at a fixed time, which is what the Energy Saver option does, is that she goes to bed at all different times.
So ideally:
1. The timer should start automatically when she starts the aufio book, or
2. There is a timer "start" button she has to activate when she start the audio book, or
3. Use the Energy Saver feature and pick some compromise fixed time to shut down - late enough so the shutdown doesn't happen while she's still listening and early enough so she's not in her light sleep mode an the audio book wakes her up.

I posted here thinking there might be some simple application that would do the timer/shut down action I'm after.

 

[krs]

Here's an app that might work.

‎Shutdown Timer

‎Ever watched a video and wanted your Mac to automatically stop? Ever downloaded something and didn't want your Mac to sleep while the download is running, but go to sleep afterwards? Ever had a lengthy task running (encoding a video, for example) and had to disable idle sleep so your Mac...

apps.apple.com

Thanks, sounded good but then I read this review:

kbarshop , 01/02/2014
no longer works

After the most recent OS update, this app no longer works.

 

[krs]

Thanks,
I looked at the information posted so far.
For one - I rather not use Terminal if I can help it.
Also - There are a number of timers referenced in the articles, but they need another application, maybe like automator, to shut down the Mac when the timer has finished counting down.

I think so far I will just try Energy Saver and shut down at a fixed time and see how that works out.

 

[MacInWin]

I looked at that but it doesn't work for me.
Mostly because it's a log out after x minutes of inactivity
I need something equivalent to a timer where I initiate the shut down time.

You might want to test the Energy Saver before shelling out any money. From what I have seen, an app running is not defined as "activity." I've had the a Mac power down in the middle of streaming because I had not performed any "activity" even though the video stream was playing. So, if the definition of Activity is that the user DO something, and she doesn't DO anything, the inactivity timer should shut down, even if the system is playing an audiobook.

 

[krs]

Thanks Jake, good point.

I remember coming across that before years ago trying to figure out what Apple defines as activity.

 

[pm-r]

Thanks, sounded good but then I read this review:

Maybe have a look at some of the other Alternatives listed here and maybe one will work and do what you want:

MacUpdate Search

www.macupdate.com

- Patrick
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