Q. I have a Vista PC in my home office. Of course, I often get distracted by the kids or my wife. So, many times I forget to shut down my computer. I would like to have the machine turn off automatically every night. Is there a way to do this?
Jack in Denver, listening on KHOW 630 AM

A. Windows doesn't make it terribly easy to schedule certain tasks. However, it can be done. You'll just need to dig into Windows' options.

First, make sure you are logged in to an administrator account. Then, click Start>>Control Panel. Double-click Administrative Tools. Double-click Task Scheduler.

In the Actions column, click Create Basic Task. In the window that opens, enter a name for the task. You can also add a description if you like. Click Next.

On the next screen, you select the task trigger. Basically, we are going to schedule your computer to shut down. So, you want to select Daily. That way, your computer will shut down automatically every day. Click Next.

Now you're ready to select the start date and time. Set the start date to the current date. Select the time you would like the computer to shut down. You want to make sure it is after work hours. You probably have your antivirus software set to scan, too. Make sure you allow enough time for it to run. Leave the recurrence box blank. Click Next.