In Windows 11, the power button appears at the lower right corner of the Start menu, whereas the power button is placed on the left side of the Start menu. The power button gives access to shut down, restart, sleep, and hibernate actions.
However, very rarely, you might notice that the power button has disappeared from the Start menu. Of course, when the power button is missing from the Start menu, you can right-click on the Start menu to access these shutdown, restart, hibernate, and sleep options or Alt + F4 dialog.
If the power button is missing from the Start menu, you can add it back by making a small change to the Windows Registry.
This guide shows you how to add the power button back to the Start menu in Windows 10/11.
NOTE: We assume you have already tried common fixes like restarting the Start menu process and rebooting the PC.
Method 1 of 2
Add Start menu power button via Registry in Windows 10/11
Step 1: Open the Registry Editor by typing the same in the Start/taskbar search and then hitting the Enter key.
If you get the User Account Control prompt, click the Yes button to open the Registry Editor window.
Step 2: Next, navigate to the following Registry key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start\HidePowerButton
You can quickly navigate to the said key by copying and pasting the Registry path in the Registry Editor’s address bar and hitting the Enter key.
Step 3: Now, on the left pane, ensure that HidePowerButton is selected. On the right side, double-click the value and change its value data from 1 to 0 to enable the power button in the Start menu.
Step 4: Please restart your computer or sign out and sign in again to apply the change.
Method 2 of 2
Add the Start menu power button via Group Policy in Windows 10/11
Step 1: Type Edit Group Policy in the search and press the Enter key to open the Local Group Policy Editor window.
Step 2: On the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.
Step 3: Now, on the right side, look for the policy called Remove and prevent access to the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate commands. Double-click on it to open its properties.
Step 4: Here, select Disabled to add the Power button back. Click the Apply button.
Step 5: Finally, sign out and sign in again or reboot your computer to see the Power button back in the Windows 10/11 Start menu.
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