# Windows 7 Bug Prevents Users From Shutting Down Or Rebooting Computers

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/windows-7-bug-prevents-users-from-shutting-down-or-rebooting-computers/69062>\
**Category:** News & Articles\
**Tags:** tools, windows\
**Created:** [February 9, 2020, 9:30am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/windows-7-bug-prevents-users-from-shutting-down-or-rebooting-computers/69062 "2020-02-09T09:30:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheJoker](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/thejoker/32/22660_2.png) [@TheJoker](https://onehack.st/u/TheJoker)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 9:30am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/windows-7-bug-prevents-users-from-shutting-down-or-rebooting-computers/69062/1 "2020-02-09T09:30:26Z")

</div>

## An anonymous reader writes:

A weird bug of unknown origins has been hitting Windows 7 computers this week, according to multiple reports online. Windows 7 users have been reporting that they are receiving a popup message that reads “[You don’t have permission to shut down this computer](https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-7-bug-prevents-users-from-shutting-down-or-rebooting-computers/)” every time they attempt to shut down or reboot their systems…

[https://zdnet4.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/2020/02/08/9e27e674-1fae-4e64-8b02-daf1f00b43fa/windows-7-bug.jpg](https://zdnet4.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/2020/02/08/9e27e674-1fae-4e64-8b02-daf1f00b43fa/windows-7-bug.jpg)

_Windows 7 reached official end of life (EOL) on January 14, 2020 and is not scheduled to receive new fixes. Last month, Microsoft made an exception to this rule when it provided a fix for a bug that broke wallpaper display for Windows 7 users. Seeing that rebooting or shutting down your computer is a more important OS feature than wallpaper support, Microsoft will most likely need to make a another exception and deliver a second post-EOL update pretty soon._

* * *

The fix has been confirmed to work by numerous users and goes like this:

**Step 1:** Press **Windows+R** to open the **Run** window.  
**Step 2:** Type **gpedit.msc** and press **Enter**.  
**Step 3:** In the Group Policy Editor window go to: **Computer Configuration \> Windows Settings \> Security Settings \> Local Policies \> Security Options**.  
**Step 4:** In the right panel of the **Security Options** option,search and double-click on " **User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode**."  
**Step 5:** In the new window, select **Enable**.  
**Step 6:** Reopen the **Run** window, but this time type " **gpupdate /force**" and press **Enter**. This will update all group policies.  
**Step 7:** Restart or shut down your system normally.

> Windows 7 reached official end of life (EOL) on January 14, 2020 and is not scheduled to receive new fixes.