Windows 11 alt + F4 "shut down" changed to "change user" when an update is pending

Hello, MatějRambousek

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about your troubles. I understand your question and dissatisfaction and will do my best to answer it.

Default behaviours in Windows operating systems may change due to version upgrades, including the functionality of shortcut keys. In Windows 11, it was a design decision to change the default behaviour of alt + F4 to "Change User" instead of "Close". While I can't do the design change for you,but I can try to explain some of the possible reasons behind this change:

1. Improved user experience:

Windows 11 introduces a new user interface and interactions designed to provide a more modern and intuitive experience.

Setting alt + F4 to "change user" may be an attempt to keep in line with the new user interface and workflow.

2. Reduce accidental shutdowns:

Shutting down your computer is a potentially risky operation, especially with pending updates. Changing the default option to "Change User" can reduce the likelihood of users accidentally shutting down their computers and instead choosing to update and restart.

3. Focus on multi-user environments:

Windows is an operating system that is widely used in multi-user environments, such as businesses and educational institutions.

In these environments, the "Change User" option may be more common and useful, as it allows users to switch to another user account without affecting the work of other users.

While these may be some of the reasons for changing the default behaviour, the final decision rests with the operating system design and development team.

If you are unhappy with this change, I suggest you provide feedback to Microsoft.

Microsoft attaches great importance to user experience, you can submit your ideas and suggestions through the Feedback Hub, and the development team will regularly review submissions for ideas or fixes. 

Thank you for your time and effort working on this issue.

Best wishes

Bobhe | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi there,

I just found this post as I had the 2024-03 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5035853) hit today and lost this functionality. Drove me nuts.......

I've used the feedback hub and posted MatějRambousek his comments as they mirrored mine exactly and just added that change for the sake of change serves nothing but job security and not the end user......

@Bobhe - MSFT you mention "Please share the feedback link here after submitting..." and I've just used the feedback hub for the very first time today and totally clueless on where or how to post that link. If you'll advise I'll do my best to get it up here as well. I did click all the places I could to share my post in the feedback hub.

Thanks-G

I think there's a misunderstanding. Even when you regedit "Start_PowerButtonAction" it still works once, but then on subsequent reboots or updates it just botches the setting. This is a bug, not just a user preference, since a back-end value that should be in charge of switching this option is being mishandled during the Update process which is overwriting something. Please follow up with the development team as a software bug ticket. Seems like a fairly important issue essentially all users will be interacting with on a daily basis.

@E Regans

Thanks for your thoughts on this issue and are you asking me to follow up with the "Development Team" because I have no clue on how to do that, or is it something @Bobhe - MSFT should be doing??

Happy to give it a shot if someone can provide the steps to do so.

Thanks-G