Power button only has a Lock option, need restart, etc.

herb milich 0 Reputation points
2026-11-09T20:27:12.5833333+00:00

My power button only has the Lock option available. I would like to have the others include restart.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Desktop, Start, and personalization | Start Menu
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  1. Emma1-N 14,925 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-10T02:55:47.03+00:00

    Welcome herb milich,

    Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand that the Power button in your Windows 11 Start menu only shows Lock, and you want Restart, Shut down and the other options back.

    To narrow this down, could you please confirm:

    • Did this start after a Windows update, or after you installed a Start menu customization, privacy or tweaking tool?
    • If you sign in with a different user account on this PC, does that account also show only Lock?

    Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following:

    1, Restart the PC using the Run box

    • Press Windows key + R, type shutdown /r /t 0, then select OK.
    • The PC restarts right away, so save any open work first.

    2, Check the machine-wide policy key in Registry Editor (back up the key before you change it)

    • Press Windows key + R, type regedit, then select OK and approve the prompt.
    • Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
    • If you see NoClose with a value of 1, change it to 0 or delete it.

    3, Check for connected work or school accounts

    • Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
    • If you see an account or organization you don't recognize or no longer use, select it and choose Disconnect. It may be pushing policies to this PC.

    4, Revert or remove customization tools

    • If you use a tool such as Winaero Tweaker, O&O ShutUp10++, ExplorerPatcher or a similar app, open it and restore its default settings, or uninstall it from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

    Looking forward to your update.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-09T20:28:03.6566667+00:00

    Remove or disable the NoClose policy in your user profile, because that policy removes Shut down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate from the Windows 11 Start menu.^1^

    Restore the missing power options

    Registry changes can cause system problems if made incorrectly; back up the key before changing it.

    1. Press Windows key + R.
    2. Enter regedit, select OK, and approve the administrator prompt.
    3. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
    4. In the right pane, locate NoClose.
    5. If its value is 1, either:
      • Double-click it and change Value data to 0, or
      • Right-click it and select Delete.
    6. Close Registry Editor.
    7. Restart Windows.

    This is the accepted resolution for the matching Windows 11 symptom where only Lock appears.^2^

    After signing in again, open Start → Power. Windows 11 normally displays options including Sleep, Shut down, and Restart.^3^

    Restart immediately

    If you need to restart before repairing the menu, try either of these:

    • Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, select the Power icon in the lower-right corner, and choose Restart.
    • Right-click Start, select Shut down or sign out, and then select Restart.^4^

    If those locations also lack the power options, that further indicates a policy is controlling them.

    If this is a work- or school-managed PC

    Do not override the setting locally. Contact the administrator and ask them to disable or leave unconfigured:

    User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Start Menu and Taskbar → Remove and prevent access to the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate commands

    Windows also supports device-management policies that hide individual options such as Restart, Shut down, and Sleep.^5^

    References

    1. Policy CSP - ADMX_StartMenu
    2. How to fix the shutdown option in start menu, it does not show in in the options ? - Microsoft Q&A
    3. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/experience/personalization/customize-the-windows-start-menu)
    4. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/surface/battery/surface-device-power-states#on,-off,-sleep,-and-restart)
    5. Start menu policy settings (windows-11)
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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