Preventing auto-lock from WinXP account - how?

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:14 am

Recently, I have added a new account to my WinXP home installation. Now when I let the computer idle for a certain amount of time, it logs out and requires me to login again to continue to use this account.

I had turned that security feature off on my other account, as I don't need it, but I cannot find where to turn it off anymore, as much as I am looking for it.

Dang.

Please someone enlighten me.

Jeff250 · Post by **Jeff250** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:18 am

Control Panel -> Display -> Screen Saver

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:04 am

Thx. I will never understand what a security setting has to do in a display properties dialog.

fyrephlie · Post by **fyrephlie** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:16 am

because microsoft felt most users wouldnt think security, but screensaver, when the screenscaver locks the screen.

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:27 pm

It doesn't look like a screensaver locking the screen for me ... it looks like a security feature locking the account and blanking the screen, waiting for a user to enter a key to display a login prompt ...

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:49 pm

I believe thats the same thing. We have that at work, it's the XP SS kicks in and then it blanks the screen after 10 min. You can set it up to go straight to a blank screen.

fyrephlie · Post by **fyrephlie** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:51 pm

yeah ... yer a victim of the why is this a screen saver. it does this by default in xp, actually, if you make multiple accounts. most home users never know because they use one account. i agree it is stupid placement on ms's fault. but that solves that, right?

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:44 am

I dont even use a screen saver, it's one of the early things I disable after reinstalling the OS, I just use a power setting to shut the monitors off entirely after 10 minutes of idle time. That saves a lot of power vs eating watts running some screen saver on the CPU while the monitors are hogging a lot of energy themselves. If I want to secure the system for a while I lock it though the windows key + L combination.