Windows 7: Change the Start Menu Power Button Settings
Contributed by Rob Rogers 
Tagged: Green computing Microsoft Windows 7 If the current setting for the Start Menu power button do not meet your needs, you can easily change it (to sleep, hibernate, or shutdown) through the following instructions.
Editor Update: Several people have recently contacted me about switching the power button function either to sleep, lock or shutdown. I have republished this tutorial for their reference.
It should be noted that sometimes the OS will force change the action temporarily in certain circumstances. This frequently occurs when updates require installing. Once the forced action occurs, the button will default to the set behavior.
1. Right-click the Taskbar.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click the Start Menu tab.
4. Use the Power button action dropdown to select the desired setting (Switch User, Log off, Lock, Restart, Sleep, Hibernate, or Shut Down).
5. Click OK.
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Anonymous said on December 6, 2009
Hello
The power button acrtion menu doesn´t appear
Paul said on January 22, 2010
The default Start Menu power button setting spontaneously resets to “Shut Down” and remains so no matter which power button action I select. I can’t find anyone else with this problem. I also am experiencing a problem with the active window or dialog box being behind inactive windows. Clicking on the active window does not bring it to the front. However, I do find many complaints, with no solution, about Taskbar auto-hide spontaneously stopping working so that taskbar covers windows. This problem has been in previous Windows versions. I can’t believe how Bill Gates got to be so rich with such crappy products.
Anonymous said on May 12, 2010
same problem as zengara – my properties window looks different and has no power button action menu
@Esterowitz why did you just link back to this page ?
Eugene said on May 16, 2010
Same problem as Paul:I right-click the power button (currently displaying Shut down), then click Properties. I choose Log off from the drop-down list for Power button action, the click Apply and OK buttons. The power button still displays Shut down and right-clicking the button and clicking Properties shows the Power button action to be Log off.
Eugene said on May 16, 2010
Just figured it out. There were 2 “Important Updates” from Windows Update that failed to install, so the power button was forced into “Shutdown”. The installation started when I pressed the Shutdown button (they failed again, but I solved that issue too). Once the updates were installed, the button’s behaviour went back to normal.
JohnsM1127 said on September 3, 2010
It only gives me the option to log off, lock, or switch user, how do I get the option for shut down back, what the hack happened here??