My laptop started doing this a couple of weeks ago. All of a sudden after it automatically updated

[Hemanth2030]

My laptop started doing this a couple of weeks ago. All of a sudden after it automatically updated, I wasn't able to access any power options in the start menu. Whenever I would press/right-click the power symbol it would show a message that said "there are currently no power options available". I tried resetting my computer, restoring it to a previous version, and uninstalling the update and it did not work. Now when I right-click the power symbol the start menu just closes and takes me to my home screen. I cannot put my laptop to sleep or restart it unless I go into the command prompt. I can only turn the computer off and on with the power button on the side of the computer. I have looked at forums on the HP help desk, asked virtual assistant, and ran all the diagnostics tests I could find and everything seems to be working properly. No idea how to fix this. 

[Sneha_01]

Hi @Hemanth2030,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The issue you're experiencing with the power options being unavailable is quite peculiar and can be frustrating. Since you've already tried some common troubleshooting steps such as resetting your computer, restoring to a previous version, and uninstalling the update, without success, we'll need to explore some more advanced troubleshooting steps. Here are a few additional suggestions that you might not have tried:

Use Windows PowerShell to Restore Power Options:

• Right-click on the Start button and select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)" if PowerShell is not available.
• Type the following command and press Enter: powercfg -restoredefaultschemes
• This command will restore the power schemes to their default settings. After running it, check if the power options have been restored.

Check Group Policy Settings (If applicable):

• Press Windows Key + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor. Note: Group Policy Editor is not available in Windows Home editions.
• Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.
• Look for any policies related to power options or the start menu, such as "Remove and prevent access to the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate commands", and make sure they are set to "Not Configured" or "Disabled".
• If any changes are made, run gpupdate /force in the Command Prompt or PowerShell as an admin to apply the changes.

Check for Corrupted System Files:

• Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an admin.
• Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. This will scan for and attempt to repair corrupted system files.
• If SFC finds and fixes any issues, restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.

Create a New User Account:

• Sometimes, user profile corruption can cause unusual issues. Creating a new user account can help determine if the issue is profile-specific.
• Go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC.
• Follow the prompts to create a new account. If the power options work correctly on the new account, you might consider transferring your files to the new account and using it instead.

Registry Check (Proceed with caution):

• Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.
• Look for a key named NoClose. If it exists, delete it or set its value to 0.
• Note: Modifying the registry can have unintended consequences, so proceed with caution and consider backing up the registry before making changes.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Rachel571 

HP Support