Change Start Menu power button: registry value PowerButtonActionUserHKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

Policy ID: PowerButtonAction
Scope: User Configuration
Supported on: Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7
Source: Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 11 2026 Update (26H2) (version 1.0)
Category: Start Menu and Taskbar

Registry

PowerButtonAction

REG_DWORDUser

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer Current key

Enabled value: Depends on the option value
Element: Choose one of the following actions

Options
Item	Stored value
Shut Down	2
Sleep	16
Log off	1
Lock	512
Restart	4
Switch User	256
Hibernate	64

Apply with .reg · CMD · PowerShell

.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]

; Options (use only one)
; Shut Down
"PowerButtonAction"=dword:00000002
; Sleep
"PowerButtonAction"=dword:00000010
; Log off
"PowerButtonAction"=dword:00000001
; Lock
"PowerButtonAction"=dword:00000200
; Restart
"PowerButtonAction"=dword:00000004
; Switch User
"PowerButtonAction"=dword:00000100
; Hibernate
"PowerButtonAction"=dword:00000040

CMD

:: Options (use only one)

:: Shut Down
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v "PowerButtonAction" /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f
:: Sleep
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v "PowerButtonAction" /t REG_DWORD /d 16 /f
:: Log off
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v "PowerButtonAction" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
:: Lock
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v "PowerButtonAction" /t REG_DWORD /d 512 /f
:: Restart
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v "PowerButtonAction" /t REG_DWORD /d 4 /f
:: Switch User
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v "PowerButtonAction" /t REG_DWORD /d 256 /f
:: Hibernate
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v "PowerButtonAction" /t REG_DWORD /d 64 /f

PowerShell

# Common: create the key
New-Item -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Force | Out-Null

# Options (use only one)
# Shut Down
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'PowerButtonAction' -PropertyType DWord -Value 2 -Force | Out-Null
# Sleep
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'PowerButtonAction' -PropertyType DWord -Value 16 -Force | Out-Null
# Log off
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'PowerButtonAction' -PropertyType DWord -Value 1 -Force | Out-Null
# Lock
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'PowerButtonAction' -PropertyType DWord -Value 512 -Force | Out-Null
# Restart
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'PowerButtonAction' -PropertyType DWord -Value 4 -Force | Out-Null
# Switch User
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'PowerButtonAction' -PropertyType DWord -Value 256 -Force | Out-Null
# Hibernate
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'PowerButtonAction' -PropertyType DWord -Value 64 -Force | Out-Null