Re: Users Keeps Getting Locked

Who "disabled" the Screen Saver? I suspect that the SS was set to require you key in the Password to get back to the Desktop and kick in after 30 minutes. I would say that the timer was not disabled before the SS was disabled. So re-enable the SS, clear the "lock down timer" then disable the SS. On the other hand if this is a remotely managed PC then the Domain GPO may be what is setting the lock down, and you will need to talk to the System Admin.

John wrote:

Thanks but I already know that.
Problem is if the PC is idle for about 30 min, it's locked. I want it to remain unlocked forever so everyone else can use it. I've done everything I know to disable auto lock. Nothing seems to work.

"Bob I" <birelan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:u8D2tWNnJHA.1292@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Windows key + "L" will lock the PC. If John locks the PC and walks away, you have two choices, Admin unlocks it and John loses his work, or you reboot and John loses his work.

John wrote:

"VanguardLH" <V@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:gok8kr$fos$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Okay, let's clarify just what "locked" means? Does it mean:
- Screen saver activates.
- Current logged on user is logged out and back to login screen?
- Host is in a low-power mode (standby or hibernate)?


Screen saver is DISABLED.
Currently logged on user stays logged on but screen goes to:
"This computer is in use and has been locked"
Only DomainName\John or an Administrator can unlock this computer

If John is away from the PC or out to lunch, no one can use it. Once again, this is a shared PC. Users should be able to log John out while he's away and log as him/herself.



Are you using the "blank screen" screensaver or one that paints an image
on the screen? If using a non-blank screensaver, and when the "lockout"
occurs, do you see the screensaver or a black screen?


SCREEN SAVER IS DISABLED. SCREEN SAVER IS DISABLED. SCREEN SAVER IS DISABLED.
I don't mean to be rude. Just hope you see it this time.



Policies are pushed to a host and control registry settings. Is any of
these users of the problematic host logging on under an admin-level
account?


No. All users are regular users in the Domain Users (domain) group. NOT Admin, NOT Power User.
AFAIK, there is no policy to control Power Settings (I'm not talking about screen saver) without an add-on software. In addition to it, I don't have domain wide screen saver GPO set to enabled. I don't even know if there's such setting.

Also, other PCs in the same domain don't have this type of problem. Therefore I conclude that it is NOT related to domain or system wide policy. My best guess is that this PC might be ignoring all power management settings. It could be a defective PC.



I did this at
work for a shared host where we didn't want to give out a login password
but company policy was to force the screen saver to lock the workstation
after 15 minutes of inactivity.


I'd like to do the other way. Never lock the workstation so other users can kick out currently logged on user. Then log on as him/herself to the domain.



Also, does the problem still occur if you reboot the host into Safe Mode
w/Networking?


I've never tried that.



Just a guess but is Fast User Switching (FUS) enabled? When you see the
login screen, is it that Fisher-Price style Welcome Screen showing
multiple user accounts with pretty little icons? Or do you get the
classic Windows login screen (and also have set policy to require
Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the login screen)?


Windows classic login screen - Press Ctrl Alt Del to login. Pretty much all PCs that have joined AD domain use this classic type login screen.



Have you simply tried logging on locally (i.e., use a local user account
instead of logging under a domain account) to see if the problem
continues?


Not yet. The machine is used daily. I gotta give them a loaner if I want to take it away to test it. I'll see if I have a loaner PC ready.

Thanks for your reply.




.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Users Keeps Getting Locked
    ... Windows key + "L" will lock the PC. ... If John locks the PC and walks away, you have two choices, Admin unlocks it and John loses his work, or you reboot and John loses his work. ... Screen saver is DISABLED. ... If using a non-blank screensaver, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: "Lock workstations" after certain idle time. Is it advisable to do it from server side
    ... In order to enable the 'lock workstation' screensaver, ... Do you have configure "Screen Saver executable name" ... > You need to set the User screensaver policy in User Configuration:> Administrative Templates: Control Panel: Display. ... >> workstations" on our WinXP/Win2000Prof automatically in case users leave ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.active_directory)
  • Re: Logoff users after idle time?
    ... I had hoped to find a way to do this without using screensaver, ... > off their workstations after an idle time. ... > Domain Policy and choose Edit. ... Enable the "Screen Saver" policy so that users will have a screen ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: Users Keeps Getting Locked
    ... you have two choices, Admin unlocks it and John loses his work, or you ... reboot and John loses his work. ... Screen saver is DISABLED. ... If using a non-blank screensaver, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: screen saver stopped working
    ... >>> selecting "blank" means no screensaver, ... >> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: ... >>>> The screen saver in use is the one named 'blank' in the ... >>>> of savers built in with XP. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)