BackupOnShutdown backs up your selected folders before shutting down Windows when you use Back up & shut down or the optional desktop shortcut. It shuts down only after a successful, complete backup. Shutting down from the Start menu, closing the lid, sleeping, or restarting doesn't start a backup.
BackupOnShutdown 1.0 runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 and on macOS 13 or later with Apple Silicon. This guide describes Windows. On a Mac, the shutdown is not forced: macOS asks once for permission to let BackupOnShutdown control System Events, and without it you can back up without shutting down. If you haven't chosen your folders and backup locations yet, follow your first backup.
Which button should I use?
Back up runs your backups and leaves the PC on, so it's a good choice for the first run or whenever you want to check the result before leaving. Back up & shut down runs the same backups, then shuts down when they're complete — useful at the end of the day.
Both buttons skip backups whose Include when I click Back up switch is off. You can still run those individually from their details.
Connect your backup drive or network folder before starting. If no location for an included backup is reachable, the app asks you to reconnect it and choose Try again. An unplugged extra location is skipped if another location is available; it doesn't prevent shutdown, but it won't receive a fresh backup during that run.
What happens when I start?
Save your work in other programs first. Windows closes them forcibly after the backup, so unsaved changes can be lost, and there's no extra prompt at the end to save them. The app button asks you to confirm before starting; the desktop shortcut skips that confirmation.
You can follow progress while the backup runs and open Show details to see the activity. Once the backup finishes successfully, the app hands shutdown over to Windows without asking you to close a summary.
Can I cancel the backup and keep working?
Click Cancel while the backup is running to stop it and keep the PC on. Wait for the operation to stop before unplugging a drive. Some data may already have been saved, but a cancelled run isn't a complete backup; start another run when you're ready. The app's cancellation button is no longer available once shutdown has been handed to Windows.
How do I add the desktop shortcut?
Open Settings → Preferences, turn on Desktop shortcut, and click Save. This creates a shortcut named Backup & Shutdown; it isn't added by default. A double-click starts the same backup-and-shutdown action, including the checks for available drives and a complete backup. See settings and shortcuts to add or remove it.
Why did the PC stay on?
A failed or cancelled backup, missing folders, or unreadable files that were skipped keep the PC on so you can review the result. This is different from folders you've deliberately excluded, which don't make the backup incomplete. Back up on its own also leaves the PC on.
The failed or incomplete backup guide explains how to resolve problems. If the backup succeeded but Windows couldn't shut down, the saved backup is still there; check the reported shutdown error.
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