The power button settings are, in both XP and 7, under "Power Options" (powercfg.cpl).

Also check the security policy (secpol.msc) – you may need to add Everyone and Anonymous under Local Policies - User Rights - Shut down the system .

The power button settings are, in both XP and 7, under "Power Options" (powercfg.cpl).

Also check the security policy (secpol.msc) – you may need to add Everyone and Anonymous under Local Policies - User Rights - Shut down the system, but this probably won't affect the power button (just the lock screen).

If the disk is not being actively used (written to), pulling the plug isn't that bad. From my experience, if any inconsistencies do appear, NTFS fixes them automatically.