Disabling the Shutdown command

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Want to keep your computer running without anyone else being able to shut it down? Then disable the Shut Down command.

Here’s how:

Open your Registry Editor. (If you’re new to editing the Registry, check www.WE-Compute.com/registry.html for instructions.)
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer.
Create a new value by clicking Edit and New DWORD value. Right-click the new value and select Rename. Type NoClose and press Enter. Double-click the new value and under Value data type 1 (one) to disable the Shut Down command.

If at a later time you wish to re-enable shutdown, change the Value data to 0 (zero).

Free *Cheap Trick* of the Week: May 08, 2001

Please note: This stops only a soft shutdown. Anybody who really wants to shut down your computer has many other options:

Remove the battery, if it's a laptop computer.
Flick the power switch on the UPS.
Unplug the power cord.
Push and hold the front power button (though that may be disabled, depending on the case design).
Push the power button on the case power supply (if it has one).
Open the case and unplug all the cables.
Smash it to bits.
Report it to the IRS as income.
Tell Dick Cheney it contains Weapons of Mass Destruction.

(Those last three are all pretty much the same thing).

Now, this naturally raises the question as to why you want to do this in the first place. We've already covered the fact that it simply stops a menu-driven shutdown.

Generally, you should not leave your computer without logging off. So why would you care if someone shuts it down unless you are in the middle of doing something? Save your work and log off. If the machine gets shut down, just reboot it when you get back. That'll refresh Windows anyhow, and may actually be a boon.

If you're running a service, just log off and let it run. Stick the mouse and keyboard in a drawer, and turn the monitor off. Now your machine will look as if it's already shut down unless someone looks closely. And even if they do, they won't be able to shut it off without killing the power. Which they could do anyhow, even if you disable menu shutdown.

In corporate environments, some people run network applications from their workstation. For example, they may run a business intelligence application and they have a scheduler send out reports all day long. They leave their machine on to facilitate this.

This is really the wrong approach. Don't use your workstation as a server. In the case of a scheduler, use one that runs on the reporting system server (typically where the database is or report repository is). You can admin this from your workstation, but it should actually run on the server.

Some reasons not to use a workstation as a server:

Security. A server is behind a firewall and, typically, specialized protocols. And it's typically in a secure area, so not just anybody can walk up and gain access. A workstation isn't as well protected.
Resources. The server is typically optimized for network use, while a workstation is not.
Backup. A typical workstation does not have a RAID array and automatic backup. If you're serving data from your workstation, you're putting data at risk.
Data silos. A server is not for personal use, a workstation is. This has implications for who controls data. Generally, no individual should control company data. The days when some incompetent could wield power by rat-holing information should be long behind us; we certainly have the technology, let's make it policy.

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