Pretty much.. but that's not technically true!

Try this dos command:
shutdown /?

It will show you all the shutdown options =)

this is a sample of how to reboot in 60 seconds, with a comment to the popup
shutdown -r -t 60 -c "Rebooting computer"

to cancel, just type
shutdown -a


.... remember.. dos is your friend. It's all you ever need keep your machine maintained.

I agree
Not only that, but depending on your default power management settings
Press the power button momentarily on your computer
Your computer will automatically shutdown normally
Try it when you want to shutdown next, but don't hold the ON button in for more than 2 or 3 seconds because then it'll just turn off straight away. (and we don't want that, because it may cause corruptions, that Check Disk will need to be run, to fix it.)

It is absolutely not just technically true!

In order to kill Winlogon the Session manager has to be killed first!

After Winlogon is killed.

The only way you can shut the computer down is to power it off. Period!

No Ctrl Alt Del!

Winlogon is the only way to log on off shutdown reboot Windows.

I know all the shutdown switches by heart for both Microsoft and Systernals Shutdown.

Run Shutdown all you want any switch. All logon/off shutdown/reboot require the Winlogon service tree.

Even the advanced Systernals shutdown will not work.

Try it!

Mike

I can't (well actually I haven't tried other tools, just Ctrl + Alt + Del (ie Task Manager)
Anyway, after thinking about it, you're most likely correct
But the Power ON button should still work, in shutting down the computer (as stated above) but I haven't confirmed this either.

The less than 4 seconds power button only sends the same software shutdown commands that are available to Windows, it has no magic function.

After Session Manager Smss.exe then Winlogon is terminated a power off is the only alternative.

Mike

Let's not forget that the whole purpose of the HARD BOOT is to avoid having Vundo come back from memory.

It know it seems like an unnecessary precaution that would have no impact - but i have tested it.

One last thing... everything i posted above was just a specific "scenario".

Even in the scenario that you did not have to kill ANY processes such as smss.exe, winlogon.exe, explorer.exe ETC - you will still want to do a HARD boot - just to be safe, after rename and/or deletion.

Next time you get a pesty infection (hopefully you dont ever).. test it.