How to prevent accidental Windows shutdowns

[8BitZ80]

Posting this solution here for others who encounter the same problem.

I've been having accidental shutdown issues for years. You go to click on "Sleep", but any accidental mis-click usually lands on the "Shut Down" option instead. Of course Microsoft would place both options right next to each other.

The most elegant solution is to use the Group Policy Editor to enable the Shut Down Event Tracker:

1. Type gpedit.msc in RUN dialog box and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor
2. Now go to: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates
3. Highlight the System folder
4. In the pane on the right, scroll down and double click on the Display Shutdown Event Tracker setting
5. Change the state to Enabled
6. Click Apply

The result is that whenever you click on "Shut Down" or "Restart", it will display an additional menu:

This can basically be treated as an "Are You Sure?" popup, where you can just click Continue and complete the shutdown. The "Sleep" option is unchanged.

The only downside is the "Other (Unplanned)" option is the default and will bring a popup window up after the next startup. Scrolling down one notch to the "Other (Planned)" option solves it. Otherwise, it works pretty well and isn't much of an inconvenience.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I like the Win + X option, but you could change your power button ( Power Options in control panel ) to trigger Sleep instead of Shut Down or Restart.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yeah really win+x+u+r = restart
Win+x+u+u = shutdown
I have hibernation off so no sleep functions I'm sure there is a shortcut key for sleep and hibernate.

 

[P4-630]

My computers never sleep, it's either on or off with the power button.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Of course Microsoft would place both options right next to each other.

Of course some automatically blame Microsoft for their own mistakes. IMO, since Sleep and Shutdown are just two different sleep states, it only makes sense they be next to each other.

The "most elegant" solution, IMO, is to just walk away and let your computer go to sleep.

If you are in a public or semi-public place, pressing Win + L will instantly lock your computer so you can walk away and not worry about someone immediately stepping up to your computer and gain access. Then you can just let it go to sleep.

 

[1freedude]

I Alt+F4 on the desktop. Oldie but a goodie.

 

[8BitZ80]

Of course some automatically blame Microsoft for their own mistakes. IMO, since Sleep and Shutdown are just two different sleep states, it only makes sense they be next to each other.

The "most elegant" solution, IMO, is to just walk away and let your computer go to sleep.

If you are in a public or semi-public place, pressing Win + L will instantly lock your computer so you can walk away and not worry about someone immediately stepping up to your computer and gain access. Then you can just let it go to sleep.

I got into the habit of using the Sleep function every time I go AFK for any period of time. When the whole computer goes from using 60-90 watts at idle down to 1-3 watts on sleep, the power savings really add up throughout the day. That's like turning off a half dozen ceiling lights, so it's worth doing to bring the power usage down.

It's an option to set an automatic Sleep with a short 5min or 10min fuse, but then it's more of a compromise that doesn't save power for every single AFK period.

Hi,
Yeah really win+x+u+r = restart
Win+x+u+u = shutdown
I have hibernation off so no sleep functions I'm sure there is a shortcut key for sleep and hibernate.

I heard about those shortcuts but couldn't figure them out. They don't seem to work properly on Windows 10.

 

[Arctucas]

My computers never sleep, it's either on or off with the power button.

+1.

 

[ThrashZone]

I got into the habit of using the Sleep function every time I go AFK for any period of time. When the whole computer goes from using 60-90 watts at idle down to 1-3 watts on sleep, the power savings really add up throughout the day. That's like turning off a half dozen ceiling lights, so it's worth doing to bring the power usage down.

It's an option to set an automatic Sleep with a short 5min or 10min fuse, but then it's more of a compromise that doesn't save power for every single AFK period.



I heard about those shortcuts but couldn't figure them out. They don't seem to work properly on Windows 10.

Hi,
More accurate description is win+x to open the list and type ur = restart or uu = shutdown
So sleep would be u and it's shortcut letter s maybe so us ?

 

[Bill_Bright]

I got into the habit of using the Sleep function every time I go AFK for any period of time. When the whole computer goes from using 60-90 watts at idle down to 1-3 watts on sleep, the power savings really add up throughout the day. That's like turning off a half dozen ceiling lights, so it's worth doing to bring the power usage down.

Ummm, half dozen ceiling lights? Not really. Yes, if you have intentionally changed the Power Options defaults and have the computer and monitors to never turn off, it will add up. But if you have left the defaults alone, the computer will just go to sleep in 15 minutes or so anyway.

 

[8BitZ80]

Ummm, half dozen ceiling lights? Not really. Yes, if you have intentionally changed the Power Options defaults and have the computer and monitors to never turn off, it will add up. But if you have left the defaults alone, the computer will just go to sleep in 15 minutes or so anyway.

Conservative values are 60 watts idle for a standard quad core system plus 20 watts for a 1080p monitor. Depending on what lightbulb is common, most these days are around 8W (LED) to 15W (flourescent) each. Half a dozen bulbs is definitely a reasonable figure in most situations. Then it comes down to whether it's "worth" the saving, and at least in my situation it's a no-brainer. Others can decide for themselves. Personally I'm so used to using Sleep all the time that it's not an inconvenience at all.....except for that 1-in-100 click that shuts down the computer. Fixed that now though!

 

[ThrashZone]

Conservative values are 60 watts idle for a standard quad core system plus 20 watts for a 1080p monitor. Depending on what lightbulb is common, most these days are around 8W (LED) to 15W (flourescent) each. Half a dozen bulbs is definitely a reasonable figure in most situations. Then it comes down to whether it's "worth" the saving, and at least in my situation it's a no-brainer. Others can decide for themselves. Personally I'm so used to using Sleep all the time that it's not an inconvenience at all.....except for that 1-in-100 click that shuts down the computer. Fixed that now though!

Hi,
So what did you do.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Conservative values are 60 watts idle for a standard quad core system plus 20 watts for a 1080p monitor.

I understand that. But my point is, ceiling lights tend to stay on continuously 8 - 10 - 12 hours per day, or even longer.

When you step away from your computer, it almost immediately goes idle. Then, if the defaults are left alone, the computers goes to sleep in 15 - 20 minutes and stays in that sleep mode until woken. That power consumption between the time it goes idle and goes to sleep is happening for just a few minutes, not hour after hour after hour, all day long.

Even at 60W, it would take whole lot of those 15-20 minute idle periods to consume 1KWh of energy. With the average price of 1KWh in the US being ~13.25 cents, I don't see this being an issue.

Extreme tree huggers might disagree, but then I doubt they would be leaving lights on all day either - or using computers that consume 60W when idle.