Last Updated on February 25, 2024 by Mathew Diekhake

You can use the Shutdown Event Tracker to prompt users to have to fill in a reason for why they are choosing to restart or shutdown the computer. Administrators can then view that information from the event log.

The Shutdown Event Tracker doesn’t allow users to shutdown or restart the computer without giving a reason for it. Even when you experience an unexpected computer shutdown or reboot, such as a power outage, then the user gets prompted to enter the reason once the computer boots back up again and won’t be able to start using the computer until the reason is given.

You can use the Shutdown Event Tracker on all versions of the Windows 10 operating system. You’ll need to be signed into an account that has the administrative permissions to be able to enable or disable the Shutdown Event Tracker.

How to Enable or Disable Shutdown Event Tracker from Local Group Policy Editor

You can enable or disable the Shutdown Event Tracker from within the Group Policy. To get started, open the Local Group Policy Editor by pressing the Windows logo key + R to bring up the Run dialog and typing “gpedit.msc” and hitting the “OK” button.

Now using the keys down the left side pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System path. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the System’s right side pane and then click on the “Display Shutdown Event Tracker” policy once and then click on the “Edit policy setting” link from the middle column, as shown in the screenshot below.

You’ll now have the Display Shutdown Event Tracker policy window open. The default settings for this is for it to be not configured, as all policies are. If you were to leave it there, it would be disabled. If you want to disable it forever and not let Microsoft have any say over it in the future, then switch it over to the “Disabled” spot instead. Click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the policy window to apply the changes and continue using your computer.

Change it to the “Enabled” checkbox if you want to enable the Display Shutdown Event Tracker. There’s also another drop-down menu in the Options window where you can choose how often you want it enabled. Set it to “Always” and then click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the policy window to apply the changes and continue using the computer.

You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor.

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