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Help! Windows Wakes Up But My Windows Desktop is Locked

Several people wrote about their Windows XP computers waking up in a "locked" state -- that is, showing the Welcome screen where you click on your user icon and type your password.

One reader (Bob [last name removed]) wrote to say:

When I turn the power on to my computer, the desktop comes up ready to use. But when I bring the computer back from "sleep," I have to click on my name to get access. A long time ago, with an earlier computer, I corrected that little inconvenience. But when I tried that on this computer, I locked myself out! Obviously, I had done one of the steps wrong. And I'm squeamish about trying again without help. So please, somebody! Help me eliminate that nuisance step.

I'm running Windows XP.

Walter also wrote to say:

Same thing happens on my wife's laptop. If I mess with it and get her locked out, I will probably find myself locked out of the house! So I'd like to know what you find out!

This can happen a couple of ways. First, assuming you are using Windows XP:
1) Right-click on the Desktop.
2) Select Properties.
3) Select screen Saver
4) Uncheck the box "On resume, display Welcome screen." [On some machines, this box is labelled "On resume, password protect." I don't know if those are running XP, but are pre-ServicePack2 or if they are an OEM's customized XP version. My XP Pro SP2 and my XP Home SP2 systems show identical labels.]

Sometimes Windows gets confused in its settings. If the box is already unchecked, then check it, click Apply and then click OK. Then, open that window again, uncheck the box, Apply and OK.

Of course, if you are in the habit of clicking on Winkey-L when you walk away from your computer, that's the lock command and you will be presented with the logon/welcome screen when you try to use the computer again.

There's another place, too -- and you get to it from the same ScreenSaver screen. Click on Power, then click on Advanced. If the "Prompt for password when computer resumes from standby" is checked, you will get the logon/welcome screen when your computer wakes up.

Link to this page — just add this code to your web page!

<a href="http://www.terryscomputertips.com/computers/windows-wakes-up-locked.php">Windows Wakes Up Locked</a>

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