Windows screen lock help

[devorahS]

All settings are correct and my IT guy can't figure it out, but My windows 10 screen doesn't auto lock or turn on screen saver mode.
I need my home office computer to be locked from my kids but I don't always remember to lock it manually.  I need help figuring this out.  I've been googling forever and no tricks have worked.

[Alexsei]

I'm having the same issue

[shulem92]

Does it matter if plug is in or not?

[Alexsei]

Does it matter if plug is in or not?

I have it on a desktop

[shulem92]

I have it on a desktop

Could be a background app or a device like a mouse preventing it from “sleeping” the only real way to test would probably be in safe mode. If it works in safe mode then you just need to isolate what is preventing the computer from sleeping/screen saver

[devorahS]

How can I isolate the background app that's preventing it?

[shulem92]

Would probably be a guessing game if you recognize anything out of the ordinary. Not sure exactly how you would figure it out without trial and error. But if it works while in safe mode then you know that that is the issue. Something is preventing it from sleeping

[devorahS]

It doesn't work in safe mode either.  So what does that mean?

[Definitions2]

I've had that on my laptop. Root cause was a wireless mouse preventing it from sleeping.

Also Windows+L is a shortcut to lock the screen. Depending on your keyboard layout this can be a very easy to do

[Jojo202]

I've had that on my laptop. Root cause was a wireless mouse preventing it from sleeping.

Also Windows+L is a shortcut to lock the screen. Depending on your keyboard layout this can be a very easy to do

Also a band-aid, but you can probably make an AHK script to lock the PC automatically after a certain amount of time of no mouse movement or similar...

[shulem92]

It doesn't work in safe mode either.  So what does that mean?

not sure. Sorry. I’m all out of advice. Those were based off my personal experiences

[Yisroel Tech]

It doesn't work in safe mode either.  So what does that mean?

Even when you start the computer in Safe Mode and don't do ANYTHING on it, just let it sit for 30 minutes? It still would not go into screen saver?

Maybe you can share a screenshot of the Screen Saver setting window, just to make sure?

Can you for testing unplug ALL peripherals and other external devices, and see if it still doesn't go to screen saver?

[devorahS]

I unplugged everything.  I had it in safe mode set to go on after 1 minute but it didn't work.

[SuperFlyer]

Do you have other software, such as one from the graphic card which has a contradicting settings?
Putting the hard disk to sleep does work?
Place your mouse in a very specific position, say at night, and see if it traveled a little after a few hours.

[devorahS]

I can manually put to sleep or lock the screen.

Could it be software if it didn't work in safe mode?
What would I look for to see contradicting settings?

[Yisroel Tech]

Even when you start the computer in Safe Mode and don't do ANYTHING on it, just let it sit for 30 minutes? It still would not go into screen saver?

Maybe you can share a screenshot of the Screen Saver setting window, just to make sure?

Can you for testing unplug ALL peripherals and other external devices, and see if it still doesn't go to screen saver?

Together with a screenshot of the Screen Saver settings window, you can perhaps also post the result of running the following command in an administrator command prompt:

Code: [Select]

powercfg /requests

[devorahS]

thank you for your help. attached are the screenshots. 

[Yisroel Tech]

thank you for your help. attached are the screenshots.

Small thought... Maybe the fact that screen saver and screen turn off (in power settings) are set to the same time length is causing something. Can you try changing the screen turn off time to like 10 minutes and try 1 minute of inactivity?

(Side note, no need to save screenshots to word and then save as PDF to upload... You can simply use Win + Shift + S keyboard shortcut to open the Snip & Sketch tool that lets you capture the part/window you want and save as image file.)

[devorahS]

That did not help either.  I tried it in safe mode as well.  Any other ideas?

(I pasted my screenshots to word to have only 1 attachment, but thanks for that suggestion)

[Alexsei]

All settings are correct and my IT guy can't figure it out, but My windows 10 screen doesn't auto lock or turn on screen saver mode.
I need my home office computer to be locked from my kids but I don't always remember to lock it manually.  I need help figuring this out.  I've been googling forever and no tricks have worked.

Tried this?

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/automatically-lock-computer-after-inactivity-in-windows-11.4774/