When Shutdown Event Tracker is enabled, users cannot shut down or restart the computer without providing a reason. If the computer is shut down or restarted unexpectedly, either as a result of power interruption or hardware failure, the first member of the local Users group to log in after the restart is prompted to enter a reason in Shutdown Event Tracker.
Shutdown Event Tracker can be enabled on the local computer by editing the local computer's Group Policy settings.
Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.
 | To enable Shutdown Event Tracker in Group Policy |
Click Start, click in the Search box, and type gpedit.msc.
The Group Policy Object Editor dialog box appears.
In the Local Computer Policy navigation pane, expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, and click System.
In the console pane, scroll down to the list of objects, right-click Display Shutdown Event Tracker, and click Properties.
On the Settings tab, click Enabled.
In the drop-down box, click Always, and then click OK.
Note The Server Only and Workstation Only settings are intended for use by a domain administrator.
Additional considerations
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To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the local Administrators group or equivalent.
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If multiple people use the computer where Shutdown Event Tracker is enabled, consider establishing guidelines for how reasons are documented, such as entering the name of the application in the comment field any time a restart is required due to the installation of a new program.