Start | Shutdown Button.

[Joel]

I believe that is not what the OP asked. Those properties options are -
unless I misunderstand - for the PC's "power button", not for what
appears in the Start menu under "Shutdown" as the default action before
one looks at the sub-menu that gives you all the shutdown options. If
you click on that Start/Shutdown (not the sub-menus choices) you get a
complete shutdown.

I believe the OP is asking if there is a way to make the default option
become "Restart" instead of full shutdown for the Start\Shutdown button.
I asked the same question some time ago and never got a satisfactory
answer. I suspect it may not be possible in W 7. I finally gave up and
now use the sub-menu even though what I do 99% of the time is "Restart",
not a full shutdown. Forces me to make one extra mouse click or hover
every time I want to restart the laptop.

It's not the most intuitive way they could have labeled the setting, I
realize, but I did test what I wrote on my Win7 machine, before
posting it. Perhaps you could have, too, before replying.

 

[Jeff]

Idiot!

Couldn't help yourself, could you? Ah well ......

 

[Trev]

Went there. Still not obvious what to do to change the default action of
the Start/Shutdown default action.

What the OP asks for is
****He wanted it instead to default to "Restart"**

Jeff

Power button option drop down list select switch user , Log off, Lock,
Restart, Sleep, shutdown.
set to restart click apply then press the start globe,,,, and it will have
changed once you have seen it as you want ok your way back out.

 

[chrisv]

Couldn't help yourself, could you? Ah well ......

A lot of us find your idiocy objectionable, relic just wrote it for us all.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I thought exactly the same thing, and was about to post a message
saying so. But I decided to try it first. I did, and verified that
what Joel suggested works perfectly. You and I were both wrong.

Me too - except I wouldn't have tried it if I hadn't read your confession.

All that time wasted with those extra clicks

 

[Jeff]

Me too - except I wouldn't have tried it if I hadn't read your confession.

All that time wasted with those extra clicks

I too can confirm that it works.

The Start/Properties screen's terminology "Power button option" confused
me too. A new user of W 7 I was reluctant to assume it referred to
something other than what it said it was. But when I tried it, it worked
just as Joel said.

Thanks Joel.

Jeff

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I too can confirm that it works.

The Start/Properties screen's terminology "Power button option" confused
me too. A new user of W 7 I was reluctant to assume it referred to
something other than what it said it was. But when I tried it, it worked
just as Joel said.

Thanks Joel.

Jeff

It all boils down to Microsoft's semantics - but no lectures about Norton
please . They love to make confusing pairs of words...

Windows Explorer - Internet Explorer
Outlook - Outlook Express
Administrator - Administrator Account

And now,
Power Button - Power Button

 

[Amelia]

Joel-thank you! I've looked everywhere for this answer ))
Amelia

 

[John Morrison]

Right click on the Start button, and click Properties. Click the
Start Menu tab, if it's not already selected. There's a drop-down
selector labeled "Power button action:", which lets you choose Restart
instead of Shut down (or whatever one prefers).

Thank you very much for your reply!!

It took about 5 seconds and now "Restart" is shown, not "Shut down".

 

[John Morrison]

I believe that is not what the OP asked.

No. Joels' answer was exactly the correct answer to my question.

I suspect it may not be possible in W 7. I finally gave up and
now use the sub-menu even though what I do 99% of the time is "Restart",
not a full shutdown. Forces me to make one extra mouse click or hover
every time I want to restart the laptop.

You will find if you apply the above action, "Restart" can be shown
instead of "Shut down".

Saves you having to make that extra mouse click.

 

[John Morrison]

You might try pushing the "Help" button on the shut down popup. In the
opened help window, expand "To change the Shut down button settings."

I've received an excellent reply which answered my question, but I did
try Windows "Help" & "Google" without finding the answer before
resorting to asking the above question in this newsgroup.

 

[John Morrison]

Right-click on the Shutdown button and pick Properties. From the drop-down
list, pick Restart, then click on Apply. That will be your default action
now.

Thanks that fixes it.!!

 

[SC Tom]

Thanks that fixes it.!!

Glad it works for you!
I didn't intentionally duplicate Joel's post- it's just my ISP being hours
behind at times.