asked on

Remove shutdown button ONLY with Group Policy

I want to prevent users from shutting computers down so we can still patch them. I remember being able to do this when we ran XP, but now that we have Vista and all new GPO's I don't see the option.

There is the option to remove shutdown, restart, and hibernate in User Config/Policies/Admin Templates/Start Menu and Taskbar.

I want the users to be able to restart, but not shutdown.

Mike Kline

I don't think that setting exists because removing shutdown will also prevent a restart
User Configuration, | Administrative Templates | Start Menu & Taskbar
>> Setting is "Remove and prevent access to the Shutdown Command" (see screenshot for explain tab).
I'll let you know if I find another setting.
Thanks
Mike

Remove-Shutdown-GPO.jpg

cavalierlan

ASKER

This is the setting I have available. I know I have different GPO's due to having Vista now, do you have Vista?
GPO.png

Mike Kline

I do but not at my lab here, at home I have it in my lab. Looks like they expanded the setting to restrict users even more if that is set.

oBdA

You can block the standard possibilities with a GPO, then give the users a shortcut in their start menu:
%Systemroot%\system32\shutdown.exe -r
The "Shutdown" icon (to make the shortcut look nicer/more prominent) should be available in %Systemroot%\system32\shell32.dll.
This will warn for 30 seconds before rebooting; you can change this by adding "-t xx", replacing xx with the time to wait in seconds.
You can add -f as well which will force running applications to close (so no "Do you want to save your work" dialog if the application supports this), but that depends on your users and requirements.
If you want the users to verify the reboot, you'd have to run this as a script which will only reboot if the user answers with "Yes".

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

McKnife

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