I would like to modify the shutdown routine so that the following happens:

1. I select Shut Down from the Start menu, obtaining the usual Shut Down
menu of Shut Down, Restart, etc.

2. From that menu I select Shut Down.

3. Instead of shutting down, the system pops up a reminder to me to do
certain end-of-the-day tasks.

4. When I click on OK in the popup, the system proceeds to the normal
shutdown routine.

I would like to be able to do this starting from the normal Shut Down option
in the Start menu rather than from an additional entry.

If it is difficult to accomplish this only when I select Shut Down from the
Shut Down menu, it would be acceptable to have the popup appear before the
Shut Down menu is displayed, and I could make my selection of Shut Down
after closing the popup.

I can use Windows Scripting Host, JScript, VBS, a DOS batch file or whatever
method will get this done.

I'd welcome a copy of your reply at:

Thanks.

David

However, you can create a script and add a shortcut to it directly in the Start Menu, so it will appear above the listing of standard items (Start, Run, etc.).  Then use that for Shut Down instead of the Windows Shut Down option at the bottom of the menu.  The script could be as simple as these 2 lines:

MsgBox "Don't forget end-of-the-day tasks!"
CreateObject("Shell.Application").ShutdownWindows

--

Bill James
Microsoft MVPDTS

?Free Win9x VBScript Utilities?
http://home.earthlink.net/~wgjames/vbspage/

One caveat:  Take steps to guard against multiple instances and failed
shutdowns.  For example, if renaming files or anything else that
should be done once and once only, you may want your script to check
that another instance of it is not running.  Latency could be a
problem there, so make that check after doing any time-consuming
stuff, e.g.:  Set "I exist" flag, spend time, check for "I exist" flag

On failed (cancelled) shutdowns; if the script returns from
ShutdownWindows (as you'd not expect it to do), you should then
reverse sensitive changes.  Thinking of situations where a DOS app is
running or a file has to be saved, and user chooses to cancel rather
than proceed with the shutdown process in the dialog offered.

OTOH, for outside-the-GUI changes (e.g. "Restart in Linux"), one can
usefully edit "Exit to DOS.bat", which controls the option to "Restart
in MSDOS Mode" so that you can, um, re-orientate that facility   :-)

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certain I got one or two of them there.