How to Add or Remove Power Button on Windows 11 Sign-In Screen

This guide explains how to show or hide the power button on your Windows 11 sign-in screen. By default, Windows lets you shut down your computer before you even log in. This button allows you to access sign-in screen, sleep, hibernate, or shut down options quickly.

Why do this? You might want to hide the power button to prevent unauthorized people from turning off your computer while it is locked. What happens when done? The power icon will either appear or disappear from the bottom-right corner of your login screen.

Method 1: Local Security Policy (Requires Admin Privileges)

You can use the Local Security Policy tool to change this setting easily.

1. Open the Start menu, type secpol.msc, and press Enter.

2. In the window that opens, click on Local Policies on the left, then select Security Options.
3. On the right side, find and double-click the policy named: Shutdown: Allow the system to be shut down without having to log on.

4. Choose Enabled to show the power button, or Disabled to hide it.

Click OK to save your changes.

Method 2: Windows Registry (Requires Admin Privileges)

If you prefer using the Windows registry editor, you can edit the registry settings. First, open the Windows Registry by searching for it in the Start menu.

1. Navigate to this path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
2. If you do not see the System folder, right-click the Policies folder, select New, then Key, and name it System.

3. Right-click in the empty space on the right side, select New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name this new value shutdownwithoutlogon.
5. Double-click shutdownwithoutlogon and change the Value data to 1 to show the button, or 0 to hide it.

Restart your computer to see the changes. You will see the power button appear or disappear as shown below:

For more information, see the official Microsoft.com.

Summary

You can control the power button on your Windows 11 sign-in screen by using either the Local Security Policy tool or the Registry Editor. Both methods require administrator access. Enabling the setting allows for quick shutdowns without logging in, while disabling it adds a layer of security to your lock screen.