Windows 7 allows you to change the way the power button on your computer behaves.

Power button is meant to power up and down your computer. Sort of. But if you have a little son or daughter at home you know that they want to be all over your laptop when you are at your laptop. I don’t know about you but it happens in many of our households. Most of the time we are okay to let them have a hand on the laptop but it would be terribly annoying if you are in the middle of doing something and they accidentally press the power button and your laptop shuts down all of a sudden.

Well, if we can’t control the kids pressing the power button on your laptop at least we can control the way the power button behaves on your laptop. That’s possible! Windows 7 let you customize the power button behavior of your computer in a couple of simple steps.

Launch Control Panel.

Click on the “System and Security” option.

Click on the “Power Options” item.

On the list of Power Plans choose the appropriate plan (or it must have been chosen for you already). For this walk-thru we are using the “Balanced” power plan. Click on the “Change plan settings” link.

Click on the “Change advanced power settings” link.

In the “Power Options” dialog scroll down to locate the “Power button and lid” item. Expand the “Power button action” item. On the “Plugged in” choice choose “Do nothing”.

Hit OK buttons all along to dismiss all the open dialogs. That’s it. From now on when you (or your little son or daughter) press the power button, nothing will happen.

Your laptop will continue to operate and the only way to shutdown the laptop is to use the “Start” menu options.

I hope this is a simple enough tweak to make the power button on your laptop do nothing so you won’t accidentally shutdown your computer.