How-To

How to Hide the Power Button From the Start Menu on Windows 11

By Brian Burgess

Published August 4, 2023

If you want to help reduce an unwanted shutdown or restart of Windows 11, you can hide the power button from the Start menu. Here’s how.

If you want to help prevent users from shutting down their Windows 11, you can hide the power button on the Start menu. While other ways exist to restart or shut down Windows 11, hiding the button helps prevent accidental shutdowns.

When a user accidentally shuts down their PC, they can lose unsaved data, which can cause headaches. Having fewer power options, like the button on the Start menu, can help prevent those shutdowns.

If you want to dissuade a user from shutting down their PC, you can hide the prominent power button on the Start menu using the steps below.

How to Hide the Power Button on Start Menu

When you press the Windows key or the Start button, you’ll find the power button in the lower right corner of the Start menu.

Hiding the button isn’t a simple toggle switch in Settings. Instead, you’ll need to tweak a Windows Registry key.

Note: This method involves modifying the Registry. Before beginning, ensure you back up the Registry, create a Restore Point, or back up your system in case something goes wrong. You can then use one of these backup options to restore your system.

To hide the Windows 11 power button:

1. Press Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog window.
2. Type regedit and click OK or press Enter.
3. When the Registry Editor launches, navigate to the following location:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start\HidePowerButton

   

4. In the right column, double-click the value entry.
5. Change the Value data from 0 to 1 and click OK.
6. Close Registry Editor and restart Windows 11.
7. Once you sign back in, press the Windows key, and you’ll no longer have a power button on the Start menu.

How to Access Power Options on Windows 11 Afterward

Even though the power button on the Start menu is hidden, you can still right-click the Start button and access power options.

You can also access power options by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del or the Alt + F4 keyboard shortcuts. In addition, you can use the hidden Emergency Restart feature.

While this doesn’t completely prevent a user from accessing power options, it does reduce the chances of an accidental shutdown or restart by inexperienced users.

If you want to unhide the power button, open the Registry Editor, navigate back to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start\HidePowerButton, change the value from 1 to 0, and restart Windows.

Using Power Options on Windows 11

If you have a child or other inexperienced user running a Windows 11 PC, using this trick to hide the power button can effectively prevent unexpected shutdowns.

There are other power options to know about on Windows 11. For example, you may need to fix having no power options available or reset to a default power plan on Windows 11.

Also, if you want to configure power setting more, you can check your computer’s supported power features, and you might also like to learn more about energy recommendations for your Windows 11 PC.