[Spit-wad]

Here's my situation: I'm running XP and my roomate has started using my computer. He has his own account on the computer.

The problem: I've told him not to turn off the computer when he's done using it, but I think he does it by habit.

Is there any way to disable the shutdown button on one user's account? I realize that he could just hit the power button on the case, which is fine.

[eyeCpc]

The power options section in the Control Panel is where you change various settings. That determines whether or not you will see the display or hard drives go into standby or hibernation as well as deciding what the shutdown option on the Start menu will do. You can have that set to sleep rather then shutdown to prevent the system from being totally powered down.

[Spit-wad]

I have it set right now so it never goes to sleep or anything... that doesn't fix my problem though. There are no user-specific settings in those Power Options that I see.

[eyeCpc]

The particular setting is what you want the power button to do when pressed. That will effect the shutdown option on the Start menu as well since it will simply put the system into the standby mode rather then powering down. That won't prevent powering everything off with the physical button/switch itself as you already realize however.

[Spit-wad]

Ah, now I see what you were getting at.

Guess that'll work. Thanks.

[eyeCpc]

That setting is pretty much standard in Windows while Vista now sees more options for energy saving, balanced, and performance plus creating a custom power scheme under the one you choose as well as advanced settings getting more involved in general.

[office politics]

TLab404 - How to remove the Shutdown Button? - from the start menu


also UAC was first introduced in Vista, xp doesn't have it

[eyeCpc]

Spit-wad is referring to having two user accounts on the XP system there not the UAC security feature now seen with Vista. The reference is good while seeing the shutdown button removed totally may be something you still don't want. With the power options setting you can always go in and find that right away while if you lose the link you could easily forget which reg values to see changed back.