Shutdown Options - Start Menu

How to Remove or Show the Start Menu Shutdown Options in Vista​

   Information

This will show you how to remove or show the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate options from the Start menu and the red power button in the Windows Security screen when you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

   Note

This will also enable or disable the Shut Down Windows screen when you press ALT+F4. For more on this, see: How to Shutdown, Restart, Switch User, Log Off, Sleep, or Lock Vista from the Keyboard

EXAMPLE: Start Menu Shutdown Options Before and After

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EXAMPLE: Ctrl+Alt+Del Shutdown Options Before and After
NOTE: Notice the red shutdown options box is gone when this is enabled.

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METHOD ONE

Through the Local Group Policy Editor

NOTE: This method is only available for the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. See Method Two below for the Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions.

1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.​

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2. In the left pane, click on User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar. (See screenshot below)​

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3. In the right pane, right click on Remove and prevent access to the Shutdown, Restart,Sleep, and Hibernate commands and click on Properties. (See screenshot above)​

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4. To Show Shutdown Options​

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A) Select (dot) Disabled or Not Configured and click on OK. (See screenshot below step 5A)​

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B) Go to step 6.​

5. To Remove Shutdown Options​

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A) Select (dot) Enabled and click on OK.​

NOTE: You can still access the Restart, Sleep, and Shutdown options when you click on Switch User or Log Off from the Start menu. They will be in the red power button options in the bottom right corner of the logon screen.​

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6. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window. Your done.​

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METHOD TWO

Using a REG File Download

NOTE: This method will work for all Vista versions.

1. To Remove Shutdown Options​

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A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.​

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Remove_Shutdown_Options.reg​

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B) Go to step 3.​

2. To Show Shutdown Options​

A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.​

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Show_Shutdown_Options.reg​

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3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.​

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4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.​

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5. Click on Run, Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.​

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6. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.​

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7. When done, you can delete the .reg file if you like.​

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METHOD THREE

Manually in Registry Editor

NOTE: This method will work for all Vista versions.

1. Open the Start Menu.​

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2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.​

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3. Click on the Continue button in the UAC prompt.​

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4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below step 5B)​

NOTE: If you do not have Explorer, then right click on Polices and click on New and Key. Type Explorer and press Enter.​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer​

5. To Remove Shutdown Options​

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A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value, then type NoClose and press Enter.​

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B) Right click on NoClose and click on Modify.​

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C) Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshot below)​

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6. To Show Shutdown Options​

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A) In the right pane, right click on NoClose and click on Delete. (See screenshot below step 5B)​

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B) Click on Yes to confirm deletion.​

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C) In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)​

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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer​

D) In the right pane, repeat steps 6A and 6B if NoClose is there to.​

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7. Close regedit.​

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8. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Shutdown, Restart, Switch User, Log Off, Sleep, or Lock Vista from the Keyboard
• How to Change Power Button Settings for the Start Menu and Case in Vista
• How to Create a Shutdown Computer Shortcut in Vista
• How to Customize the Start Menu in Vista
• How to Add or Remove Switch User from the Start Menu in Vista
• How to Add or Remove Log Off from the Start Menu in Vista
• How to Add or Remove Lock and Switch User from the Start Menu in Vista
• Removing the Sleep function in the Shutdown menu
• How to Remove or Restore the Vista Log On Shutdown Options
• How to Allow or Prevent Users and Groups to Shut Down the Computer​
• How to See the Last Shutdown Time of Your Windows PC​

 

[Brink]

Not sure if that would have caused this or not, but it may have it if was the last thing that was done before it happened. A repair (upgrade) install should do the trick though.

 

[SoLoGHoST]

Hello,
I've used all of the reg files for removing all of the Vista Shutdown options and Logoff and Lock and Switch Users since I am using a gadget that performs all of these tasks I don't need them in the start menu.

I have 2 questions however:

1.) How can I remove the Logoff, Lock, and Switch User commands when hitting CTRL+ALT+DELETE, is this possible through the registry??

2.) How can I remove the Arrow Menu (since it is always empty) that's in the start menu?

UPDATE:
I figured out how to remove "Logoff" from the Windows Security Dialog Box that appears when you are logged on and you press CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys.

Although this registry setting was meant for Windows 2000, it works perfectly on my Windows Vista Ultimate 32 Bit OS.

Just Browse to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Add a DWORD, name it: NoLogoff
Modify it's value so that it is 1

This should remove the Logoff from the CTRL+ALT+DEL Windows Security Dialog Box. To restore it back in there, just delete "NoLogoff" DWORD.

Can other users test this on different Operating Systems and let me know if it works on those versions of Vista also? I am planning on using this on other computers that are not at my disposal at the moment.

Thank You!

 

[Brink]

Hi SoLoGHoST, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Here you go:

Log Off: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/119865-log-off-add-remove-ctrl-alt-delete.html

Lock: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/120503-lock-computer-enable-disable.html

Switch User: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/89939-fast-user-switching.html


I'm afraid that you cannot remove the arrow menu itself unless you either switch to the Classic Start Menu (http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88812-start-menu-classic-view.html), or use a 3rd party program like the free Vista Start Menu (Vista Start Menu – Convenient alternative to Start menu) as an alternative Start Menu.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[SoLoGHoST]

Hello Brink,
Thank you very much for your help on this. I got Switch User and Logoff out of the Windows Security Dialog Box, however, the DisableLockWorkstation registry setting disables the Locking of the pc altogether. I don't want to do this, just want to take it out of the Windows Security Dialog Box (CTRL+ALT+DEL). Wish there was a HideLockWorkStation option that works like the HideFastUserSwitching, however already tried it and it didn't work. If I disable the LockWorkstation as in the Tutorial, my gadget won't be able to lock the computer and I still want to be able to lock the workstation, just don't wanna do it from windows.

Unless there is another way to lock the workstation other than:

System.Shell.execute('rundll32.exe', 'user32.dll,LockWorkStation');

which is what the gadget is using, I guess this won't be possible to do.

Well, thanks for your support anyways.

Solomon

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Solomon,

I wish I knew another option, but that's the only method that I know of to remove Lock from the CTRL+ALT+DEL screen. Unfortunately it disables Lock from working completely to.


Sorry,
Shawn

 

[mohanmathew]

Brink,

This is an excellent tutorial. My aim is to block certain users from shutdown button. Even though that is not possible, I can manage my self to shutdown or hibernate using shutdown.exe option!

Thank you

 

[Brink]

Hello MohanMathew, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Sure you can since you have Vista Ultimate.

1. Open C:\Windows\System32\secpol.msc (Local Security Policy).
2. In the left pane, expand Local Policies, and click on User Rights Assisnment.
3. In the right pane, right click on Shut down the system and click on Properties.
4. Select a listed user account name and click on the Remove button.
5. When done, click on OK.


Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[mohanmathew]

Hi Shawn,

That is the trick I was looking for. Thank you soo much.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome MohanMathew.

 

[kojita]

Hi all,

I have the same problem as uniqst3r (that is the shut down options Hibernate, restart and sleep do not appear when I click the right arrow in the start menu, but do appear on the log on page when pressing ctrl alt del). I tried about every solution found on the forums (group policy, registry editing (NoClose does not appear in my registry), copying original dlls) but still no solution worked for me.

It appears that this started when I installed twice the theme vista os x 09 by partickgs, it basically modifies some of the dlls (authui.dll, browseui.dll, etc..). I managed to uninstall every part of it except this annoying shut down options (and the alt-f4 does not bring me shut down options menu neither).

I run vista ultimate 32bit on a t61p.

Thanks for any help. Cheers and happy new year.

 

[Brink]

Hi all,

I have the same problem as uniqst3r (that is the shut down options Hibernate, restart and sleep do not appear when I click the right arrow in the start menu, but do appear on the log on page when pressing ctrl alt del). I tried about every solution found on the forums (group policy, registry editing (NoClose does not appear in my registry), copying original dlls) but still no solution worked for me.

It appears that this started when I installed twice the theme vista os x 09 by partickgs, it basically modifies some of the dlls (authui.dll, browseui.dll, etc..). I managed to uninstall every part of it except this annoying shut down options (and the alt-f4 does not bring me shut down options menu neither).

I run vista ultimate 32bit on a t61p.

Thanks for any help. Cheers and happy new year.

Hello Kojita, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You might see if doing a System Restore using a restore point dated before installed the themes to see if that can fix this for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[kojita]

Thanks Brink,
Unfortunately, I do not have a system restore point...(I disabled the function)... I keep looking.

 

[Brink]

Kojita,

Other than a clean reinstall of Vista, you might see if a repair (upgrade) install may help.

 

[kojita]

Thanks, but I m afraid it won t keep my installed programs and settings, and I dont want to loose more time on this now.
Additionnaly, I noticed that some search options in explorer.Exe were disabled or not working properly (dates and after or before options are grayed).
Cheers

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Kojita. Sorry you had to end up doing a clean reinstall.

Shawn