In Windows, how do I lock my workstation without logging off?

In Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Vista, you can lock your workstation manually or by using your screen saver.

On this page:

• Manually locking your computer
• Locking your computer through the screen saver
• Unlocking your computer

Manually locking your computer

Four popular methods are available for manually locking your computer; choose whichever method is easiest for you or best serves your needs.

Method 1 (Windows Vista in non-Classic mode only)

Go to the Start menu, and then click the button with the lock icon.

Method 2

You can use a key combination of the Windows logo key (it is typically located beside your Spacebar and has the flying Windows logo on it) and the  l  key (the letter l) to immediately lock your computer.

Method 3

Press Ctrl-Alt-Del. In Windows Vista, click Lock this computer. In Windows 2000 or XP, click Lock Computer. In Windows NT, click Lock Workstation.

Method 4

To create a desktop shortcut that will lock your computer when you double-click it:

1. Right-click the desktop and select New, then Shortcut. This will open the Create Shortcut Wizard.
   
   
2. For the location of the item, type the following: %windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
3. Click Next.
   
   
4. Type an appropriate name for this shortcut and click Finish.

You will now have a shortcut on your desktop that will lock your computer when you double-click it.

Locking your computer through the screen saver

To set up your screen saver to automatically lock your computer, follow these directions:

1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties. In Windows Vista, right-click the desktop and select Personalize.
   
   
2. In Windows Vista, the Personalization window will be open. Select Screen Saver.

   In Windows NT, 2000, or XP, the Display Properties window will be open. Select the Screen Saver tab.

3. From the drop-down list, select a screen saver file.
   
   
4. In the "Wait:" field, set the amount of time you want the screen saver to wait for activity before starting.
   
   
5. Check the Password protected or On resume, password protect box, and then click OK. In Windows Vista, the box will be labeled On resume, display logon screen. From now on, when the screen saver comes on, your workstation will be locked.

Unlocking your computer

However you choose to lock your computer, to unlock it, press Ctrl-Alt-Del. A window will appear where you can enter the password for the username under which you're logged in.

Administrators for either the local computer or the domain can unlock a locked computer by entering their usernames and passwords at the login prompt. This will log the current user out, but will not log the administrator in. At this point, any user with login rights can log into the computer normally.

Note: If you are the local computer administrator, you need to log into the local computer rather than the domain. Also, by using the administrator login to unlock the workstation, you will erase all unsaved work.

If your domain username is in the Administrators group, you can enter your domain name and domain password and select the proper domain from the drop-down list. You are not required to log into the local computer. This will also unlock the workstation and erase all unsaved work.

Also see:

• At IU, how do I create an ADS Domain account?
• Best practices for computer security