Windows Server – Remove Shutdown button from start menu by GPO

[mjgreen81]

Hi all, any help appreciated with this one!

 

I would like to remove the shutdown button from the start menu from our various servers (mixture of 2003, 2008, 2008r2). The idea being that we prevent accidental shutdowns.

 

Ideally I would like to do this with group policy.

 

We would still like a shutdown option available, but just so it is a lot harder to accidently trigger.

 

Thanks in advance

[gmonks]

Yep:

 

User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu & Taskbar\

 

Disable the following setting:

Prevent and Remove access to the Shutdown,Restart,Sleep and Hibernate commands.

[mjgreen81]

As that's a user setting, can I assign it to the OU containing my group of servers? Or do I have to assign it to the OU containing the user?

 

Sorry if thats a stupid question, I am having one of those days where my brain just is not functioning.

[detjo]

User settings should apply to users. You can do a loopback if you want to apply it to the Servers OU, tho

[mjgreen81]

Ah! Loopback processing, that's what I am forgetting

 

What about shutting down after I remove the button? What's the best way?

[detjo]

Win+R > Shutdown.exe

 

/l Log off

/s Shutdown the computer

/r Shutdown and restart the computer

[Michael]

Hi all, any help appreciated with this one!

 

I would like to remove the shutdown button from the start menu from our various servers (mixture of 2003, 2008, 2008r2). The idea being that we prevent accidental shutdowns.

 

Ideally I would like to do this with group policy.

 

We would still like a shutdown option available, but just so it is a lot harder to accidently trigger.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Why do you want to do this? On 2003 you click Start > Shutdown and then you need to confirm

 

On 2008 you click Start, click the arrow, then select Shutdown

 

If you enable that GPO it'll prevent you shutting down altogether, just as it would a workstation.

[mjgreen81]

As we found out yesterday, its quite easy for someone to accidently click the arrow then shutdown by mistake :-/

 

We have quite a few users who need to log on to various servers for applications that they look after. We want to make it a bit harder from them to accidently shutdown.

[detjo]

If you enable that GPO it'll prevent you shutting down altogether, just as it would a workstation.

From the start menu, sure. But that's what he wants. It won't stop someone running shutdown.exe, so the option to shutdown by other means is still there.

[mjgreen81]

Ok, great, thanks guys.

 

Just tried it out on a server and its working. Surprisingly, even after a GPupdate/force it seems like it was necessary to reboot the server, a log off/on didn't suffice. The the option has now been removed after a reboot.

 

Shame there is not still a way to enable a shutdown/restart button a couple of clicks in. Oh well!

 

Thanks again

[mjgreen81]

Can I ask - if the server is awaiting updates you would normally get an 'install updates & shutdown' option as well as a standard shutdown.

 

What happens if you don't have the shutdown button?

[mjgreen81]

To partly answer my question. If I have updates waiting and I run shutdown.exe /r - it does install the updates.

[KK20]

Accidental shutdown is quite odd though. Even if you press start->shutdown you still need to type something into the "reason" box before the button activates. The worst culprit for accidental reboots is the "restart" option on windows updates. That is the only time one of our minions accidentally rebooted the exchange server during the middle of the day...

 

If you make this change to the GPO can you still shutdown from the CTRL-ALT-DEL screen?

[mjgreen81]

No, I didnt have the option to shutdown from CTRL+ALT+DEL. We also didnt have the "reason" box so presume this must be a GPO that also needs enabling if you want to use this feature.

 

I have also been asked to move the Log Off button from the small arrow onto the start menu. Anyone know if this is possible?

[KK20]

you could use the same GPO to remove logoff and shortcut a powershell script containing:

 

logoff;exit

 

powershell to restart is restart-computer btw