Windows 10 includes a variety of features and settings to assist you in managing your work and customizing the way your computer operates. There are several ways to protect your data and prevent others from accessing it as computers become more personal over time. Auto-Lock Feature is one such method, which is useful but can be annoying at times.
Several users dislike using it because it can obstruct their workflow. Imagine you’re staring at your computer screen, mulling over some ideas when the auto lock kicks in. In Windows 10, you can either disable Auto-Lock Feature or better manage it.
Let’s take a look at how to do it.
AUTO-LOCK FEATURE
Auto-lock protects your personal files and other data by preventing unauthorized access to your computer while you are away. While you can lock the computer manually (press Windows key+L), it’s easy to forget to do so every time you leave it. That’s when the auto-lock feature kicks in.
It will turn off the screen and lock the computer depending on the timer you’ve set. The only way to unlock it is to enter the password or pin that has been set. It’s a cool concept that I enjoy and use frequently on my laptop. When it comes to privacy and security, I’m a little paranoid. It’s probably all the hacking news I’ve been reading lately.
USE IT OR NOT
To protect your Windows 10 computer from unauthorized access, use auto-lock, as previously mentioned. Anyone can steal your information and sell or use it against you, or they can install malicious software, malware, or spyware on your computer.
Snooping into other people’s personal lives is a bad habit for some people. To some extent, auto-lock can prevent this. It can also save energy, which is especially useful when the laptop is running on battery power.
There are a variety of reasons to disable auto-lock. For example, suppose you live alone and no one else has access to your computer. It’s possible that your office is always locked when you’re not there. And you have faith in your partner not to gain unauthorized access to your computer. In such cases, frequent computer locking and unlocking can be inconvenient.
On the lock screen, for example, you can set Windows to display upcoming calendar events, weather reports, unread emails, and other important information. It’s no longer just a pretty wallpaper.
HOW TO DISABLE IT
Personalize by right-clicking anywhere on your desktop. You can also access it from Settings by pressing Windows key+I and selecting Personalize from the drop-down menu.
In the left sidebar, click on Screen time settings under Lock screen.
There are two possibilities here. The first is Screen, and the second is Sleep. Under ‘On battery power, turn off after’ and ‘When plugged in, turn off after,’ select Never.
Your computer’s screen will never turn off, auto-lock, or go to sleep. The auto-lock feature is only activated when the screen is turned off and the computer is put to sleep.
REGISTRY AND GROUP POLICY HACK
If the above solution does not work for you, you can use one of two Windows 10 hacks to force these settings. Group Policy is better for Windows Pro, while the registry hack is better for Windows Home Edition.
- From the Start menu, type regedit in the Windows Search box. Navigate to the folder structure below:
- Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
- Right-click on the Windows folder and select Key under New.
- Name this new key as Personalization. Right-click on this new key file and select DWORD (32-bit) Value under New.
- Name this file as NoLockScreen. Now double-click on this DWORD file to open it and input 1 in the Value data field.
- Moving on to Group Policy trick, search for gpedit.msc in the Start menu and open it. Navigate to the following folder — Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization.
- Double click on ‘Do not display the lock screen’ file to open it.
- Select Enabled from the pop-up window and click Apply to save changes.
HOW TO MANAGE AUTO-LOCK IN WINDOWS SCREEN
Set the Screen and Sleep settings to a number that you are comfortable with instead of Never as we did above. You can always fine-tune it later to find a happy medium. When it’s plugged in, I set it to Never, and when it’s on battery power, I set it to 10 minutes. When I work from home, I keep my laptop plugged in so that I don’t have to worry about unauthorized access.
Of course, depending on where you live and work, things may be different for you. Another important setting is the battery or power settings, where you can control Hibernate and Sleep. You can create a plan that works for you by combining these two methods.
LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS
The auto-lock feature is quite good, and it can be very useful depending on your working environment. If you do want to disable auto-lock, there are a few options. If the settings don’t seem to be working, try using the registry editor and group policy editor. That ought to suffice.
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