Do you feel insecure about the safety of your files when you step away from your computer? Do you want your computer to automatically lock up when it's idle? Or do you want to change the lock screen timeout on your PC?
In this article, I will walk you through the different step-by-step approaches how to changing the lock screen timeout in Windows 10. This article also highlights ways to automatically lock your computer, manually, and how to stop them if that doesn't work for you.
Change lock screen timeout - value
When you change the lock screen timeout on a Windows PC, it means that you are setting the PC screen timeout when it is inactive. This is the time that starts counting as soon as the computer crashes; once the time is up, the PC screen freezes.
This is a feature that helps protect your computer when you are not using it. This means that third parties will not be able to access your PC when the screen is locked. So, if you decide to take a break from using your PC for a few minutes/hours, the screen will freeze after a certain amount of time that you have set.
Setting a screen lock allows you to step away from your computer for a while and make sure no one can access your files. If you've set your lock screen timeout correctly, you don't have to worry about when it will take effect. It works automatically after setting the time.
How to change the lock screen timeout setting in Windows settings - see the steps below:
Open Settings: To open Settings, press the Windows Key + I and then click Personalization.
From the menu displayed on the left side of the screen, select Lock screen.
Scroll down and find "Screen timeout settings"; click on it as soon as you find it. There you can set your desired lock screen timeout.
Enter your desired time under the lock screen.
If you want to disable this setting entirely, select Never from the drop-down menu that shows various time options.
Click Apply or Save Changes.
Restart your computer to save changes.
So, you have successfully changed the lock screen timeout using Windows settings. You can lock your computer and wait to see if the setting works.
How to automatically lock the screen in Windows 10
1. Click the start menu and type control panel. Open the first displayed result.
2. Tap Personalization, then tap Screen Lock.
3. Click "Screen Timeout Settings" and select values from the "Screen & Sleep" drop-down menus. This is where you set the amount of time your computer will freeze or pause. This means that when the computer is idle for a certain period of time, the screen freezes. You only need a password to unlock it.
In addition, you can additionally select the applications that will be shown when the screen is locked (for example, Weather, Clock and Alarm). Click the square with the plus sign in the center to add applications.
If you also want to remove the app from view when the screen is locked, click the square with the plus sign in the center, then select "No" from the pop-up list.
Also, Read: How to Change Wallpaper on Unactivated Windows
How to manually lock your PC screen
To manually lock your PC screen, press the Windows logo key + L on your keyboard. In this case, the screen saver or screen lock timeout you set will not take effect because you did it manually beforehand. You will only use your PC password to unlock it.
This is highly recommended if you are not sure that you can leave your computer open even for a second.
Last note
If you want to change the lock screen timeout in Windows 10, you can do so from Windows error fixes in the Settings, Control Panel, Registry and Command Prompt. Note that each of the methods is simply an alternative to the other, which means that if one method doesn't work, try another!
