broadcast-a-shutdown-message-command-prompt.md

title	Broadcast a Shutdown Message (Command Prompt)
description	Find out how to use the net send command to broadcast a message in SQL Server. See how to determine which users are currently connected to SQL Server.
author	rwestMSFT
ms.author	randolphwest
ms.date	08/26/2025
ms.service	sql
ms.subservice	configuration
ms.topic	how-to
helpviewer_keywords	SQL Server, stopping named instances [SQL Server], broadcasting shutdown messages shutdown message broadcast broadcasting shutdown message command prompt [SQL Server], broadcasting shutdown messages default instances [SQL Server], broadcasting shutdown messages stopping SQL Server

Broadcast a shutdown message from the command prompt

[!INCLUDE SQL Server]

This article describes how to broadcast a shutdown message in [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] by using the net send command. In the message, include the time the instance of [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] is going to stop, so that users can finish their tasks.

Broadcast a shutdown message

1. From a command prompt, enter:

   net send /users "message"

   The /users option specifies that the message is sent to all users connected to the server.

Note

The net send command requires the messenger service to be running on both the sending and the receiving computers. The messenger service is disabled by default on Windows Server 2003. For information about net send, see the Windows documentation.

On your network, it might be more appropriate to contact users by e-mail or the telephone. To determine which users are currently connected to [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion], use the Activity Monitor. For information on the Activity Monitor, see Activity Monitor and Open Activity Monitor in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

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