As you may already know, Microsoft removed the ability to disable Lock Screen in Windows 10 Anniversary for Pro and Home users. This ability is now locked to Enterprise and Education edition users. Here is a workaround which will allow you to disable the Lock Screen feature in Windows 10 Anniversary Update version 1607.
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Windows 10 Anniversary Update comes with the updated Group Policy which locks entrain options to Enterprise and Education editions only. This include the ability to disable the Lock screen.
Disable Lock Screen in Windows 10 Anniversary Update version 1607
You can stop the Lock Screen from appearing using a special task in Task Scheduler.
Here is how.
- Open Control Panel.
- Go to Control Panel \ System and Security \ Administrative Tools.
- In the newly opened window, double-click the shortcut "Task Scheduler":
- In the left pane, click the item "Task Scheduler Library":
- In the right pane, click on the link "Create task":
- A new window titled "Create Task" will be opened. On the "General" tab, specify the name of the task. Pick an easily recognizable name like "Disable Lock Screen".You can also fill in the description if you want.
- Tick the checkbox named "Run with highest privileges":
- Under "Configure for", select "Windows 10":
- Switch to the "Triggers" tab. There, click the "New..." button.
Add the first trigger "At log on".
Add the second trigger "On workstation unlock of any user".See the following screenshot:
- Now, switch to the Actions tab. Add a new action by clicking the "New... button".
In Program/script, type the following:reg.exe
In the box "Add arguments (optional)", type or copy-paste the following text:
add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\SessionData /t REG_DWORD /v AllowLockScreen /d 0 /f
- On the Condition tab, untick options
- Stop if the computer switches to battery power
- Start the task only if the computer is on AC power
See the following screenshot:
The task you just created will set the AllowLockScreen DWORD value at the following Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\SessionData
When it is set, it disables the Lock Screen. However, every time you login to your account or unlock the computer, the value data is automatically set to 1. So, the task you created will set that parameter back to 0 every time you sign in or unlock the workstation.
You are done. Now, let's check out this trick in action.
First, run the task at least once from the Task Scheduler.
Now, lock your workstation by pressing Win + L shortcut keys on the keyboard. The lock screen should not appear.
Second, sign out from Windows 10. Again, the Lock Screen should not appear.
Watch this video to see the trick in action:
Tip: subscribe to our Youtube channel HERE.
Save you time with Winaero Tweaker
WIth version 0.6.0.5, Winaero Tweaker does everything mentioned above automatically. Just tick the checkbox as shown below and you are done!
Download Winaero Tweaker HERE.
Update: Here is an alternative way to disable the Lock screen in Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
- Press Win + R shortcut keys together on the keyboard to open the Run dialog.
- In the Run box, type the following:
secpol.msc
- The Local Security Policy app will appear on the screen.
Select Software Restriction Policies in the left.
- If you see "No Software Restriction Policies Defined", then right click the Software Restriction Policies and select "New Software Restriction Policies" in the context menu.
- Now, go to Software Restriction Policies -> Additional Rules:
- Right-click on the right pane and select New Path Rule:
- Under Path, paste
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.LockApp_cw5n1h2txyewy
Make sure the security level is set to Disallowed.
- Click OK.
The lock screen will be disabled. To enable it back, you need to remove the rule you created. This method is not perfect:
- The lock screen will re-appear if you reboot your PC.
- The lock screen will re-appear if your display entered the power saving mode.
From my point of view, the Task Scheduler trick is better.
That's it!
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Hello, but how to change Lock Screen in Windows 10 Anniversary Update. I want to have my own picture :(
This is simple.
Go to Settings – Personalization – Lock Screen.
It would appear this only works in the Pro edition of Windows 10. In the Home edition, the “browse” button is greyed out when you select “picture”. You can, however, specify a folder if you select “slideshow” instead. There is no rhyme or reason to this operating system.
Open Windows Features then find the new Custom Logon Feature And Untick all from this TREE
RESTART Thank me LATER ^^ (PS you might need the classic regedit trick or GroupPolicy Trick after)
Is this something that we might see appear in a future Winaero Tweaker?
It will appear there today or tomorrow.
Thanks
Thanks! Very useful. ;)
This doesn’t seem to work for me, either manually or via Tweaker.
With Win+L I still get the lock screen and when booting up I still see it flash by (not persisting due to “no password on boot” option).
Any insight on that?
Since I’m at it, the EdgeAutomation application you featured some time ago never worked for me either, except for the first time. Ever since the first launch of the executable, searching from the start menu opened Edge rather than FFox. It would be nice if you had some news about that too.
Lastly, I’ve been using the standalone Elevated Shortcut application; is there a way to “import” the shortcuts in Tweaker or would I need to delete them and recreate them to have them listed in the “manage shortcuts” menu?
Cheers.
the very last thing it requires a logon password which there isn’t one – won’t go through.
Simply Xed out and tried it, it worked anyway.
Thanks for this work around.
This doesn’t disable the lock screen at boot. When I boot my laptop, I want to be able to type my password in without having to dismiss the lock screen. I tried adding a trigger for it to run at startup, but I still have to dismiss the lock screen.
same here
Same here.
… It’s back …
:/
do not work, if a notebook on battery.
the energyrules disables it.
please change it.
already changed. download winaero tweaker 0.6.0.6, it is fixed there
still does not work. tried the updated version.
Well, this is really strange. I will look what else I can do.
In my notebook Sony Vaio, running Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Edition 64 bits, this trick, done by Tweaker 0.6.0.6, works for locking and signing out, but not on (re)booting — that is just when I need the most, since I alone use the notebook, so that I never lock or sign out. My energy plan is set for high performance, both on battery and when connected to power supply.
It seems that the only workaround is to bypass the logon screen, which will also bypass the lock screen. To avoid unauthorized access by anyone to the computer, a password can be set in the BIOS.
Nice try but the irritating thing about the lock screen is not when you lock the computer when it is on. it is when you start the computer. This does not fix that.
Every “fix” fails. Every one.
Why this is so is only known to the folks at Microsoft.
What they’ve done here with 1607 is another pre-alpha release. They’re toast if ANYONE creates a true Windows competitor.
They want us to lean Linux probably.
You’re a mensch! The Windows Lock Screen is as useful to the average user as “tits on a boar”, as we used to say down South. I know Microsoft wants to use it to send us “useful” information and advertising but “No, thank you.” Keep up the good work!
I tested it again by rebooting. The lock screen appears, flickers on and off several times (like it is is fighting with the task scheduler) but eventually wins and shows me the lock screen.
I went through the process again, rebuilt the task, but the same thing happens on reboot. It works OK for power saver timeout and manual lock with WIN-L.
I installed Aero Lite and disabled the Lock Screen but it behaves the same way, flickering on reboot with the Lock Screen winning out.
It looks like Microsoft may have upped the ante, once more.
Not working for me either.
I used this same hack by way of a pre-prepared scheduled task xml file, but have discovered an unintended consequence of doing scheduled task workaround — it unpredictably interferes with the sign-in background picture that you select (which we know can now be the same as the lock screen background picture in the Anniversary Update).
Let me describe the wonky behavior that I discovered. There’s really no rhyme or reason to it.
After setting the lock screen background picture in the Personalization settings (which, as we know, can also double as the sign-in screen background picture), you then lock the computer to test it, and one of the following will occur:
1) the sign-in screen and the switch user screen backgrounds will be properly set on that first lock
2.) just the switch user screen background will get set
3.) just the sign-in screen will get set
4.) *both* will remain the default cave-beach picture.
However, after unlocking and locking the machine, one or both will go back to the default cave-beach background and then stay that way!
My theory is that by disabling the lock screen code from running, it also bypasses whatever Windows does to set the background of the sign-in and switch user screens. However, even temporarily disabling the scheduled task and locking to set it also doesn’t work — as soon as the scheduled task runs again, the background picture setting breaks yet again. It seems like this workaround needs further work.
good job on finding a solution but this is [censored]ing pathetic
windows 10 is [censored]ing pathetic
all the spying and telemetry, the ugly UI, which is also broken and tied with the metro/modern language, which is very underdeveloped, very unstable, lacks so much features and it doesnt play nice with win32 applications
on top of that microsoft feel like they should decide whats good for you like that horrible lock screen picture
i was so glad there was a setting in GPEDIT.msc but it was gone after the anniversary crap update
i used windows 10 for one year and now im back with windows 7
that windows 10 shit isnt going to run on my computer ever again
and microsoft are really insolent and arrogant to sell a [censored]ing alpha version of windows and calling it a “final product”
I have Windows 10 Ver 1607 64-bit and I installed Winaero Tweaker 0.6.0.6. The Disable Lock Screen feature did not disable the Lock Screen at startup.
MS want to force upgrades and make their slave viewers they used to serve watch ads from their marketing and associated allies; they’re doing this to the Win 10 pro users now, not just home users who couldn’t tinker with their OS as much. The Win 10 anniversary edition updates did not mention that many group policy editor options available will no longer work for win 10 pro users which worked right until they ‘upgraded’. Bad job MS – please change and do another fairer ‘upgrade’ (service pack) to remedy this asap or you will piss of many previously loyal customers.
Good work, appreciate the work that went into this. For less advanced users, you could winrar (replace wtih a zip version) the entire child directory here – C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.LockApp_cw5n1h2txyewy
or rename that folder to this
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.LockApp_cw5n1h2txyewy[RenamedByMeSoNoLockScreenOnUnlock]
these alternative methods achieve the same limited result you want. You install the pc and wanted to not see junk so if you need to modify it, you will probably search until you find a method to do that.
It could be tricky to play with the lock screen for the initial boot incase it fails to boot and then locks you out!
Disabling the lockscreen through winaero tweaker worked like a charm, but for some reason since a few days it stopped working for me on all four of my Win10 computers. The scheduled task is still there, but the lockscreen reappeared.
This worked, I tried the policy editor but with no sucess, but you save me life. You should do a tutorial on how to remove the account picture. Thanks.
Thanks, this works great! But it’s sad that MS forces these unnecessary tablet “features” on desktop PC users and makes us jump through hoops to disable them. There’s a company that desperately needs some serious competition that is backed by the gaming industry.
I used wiinaero to stop the Lock Screen appearing and restarted my PC. I got two lock screens!!! What gone wrong?
winaero does not disable the lock screen on windows 10 anniversary edition
Only thing that truly disables the lockscreen is to patch LogonController.dll.
I found the patch here:
https://winaero.com/blog/lockscreengone-an-app-to-disable-lock-screen-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/
Sergey Tkachenko,
I abandoned Windows for Ubuntu 16.4 when Microsoft applied an unwanted forced online upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 to my Sony Vaio and this was not stopped in time. The damage the forced upgrade did to my files took weeks to repair. I have been dragged back to Windows 10 because some technical software companies have still not got the message about Linux.
The automatic screen lock that cannot be disabled without the high end IT skills that you have is another example of the contempt that Microsoft has for its customer base.
Thank you for a clear and comprehensive post – 5 stars.
Philip
Thank you for kind words Philip.
I am happy that this article was useful for you.
I hope someone can put this into the post so everyone can see because below is an official way to turn it off. I’m using Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update and the type of account is local but other versions and online account might work as well. The option is hidden so these steps will bring it back up and set it as default.
1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options
2. Under Password click Add, type in random password and hint, click Next and Finish.
3. Close the Settings window and repeat step 1.
4. Under Require sign-in, click and choose Never.
5. Under Password click Change, type in the random password in step 2, click Next twice and Finish.
You’re now free from being forced to click on any lock screen or Sign in button.
This ability is now locked to Enterprise and Education edition users. Here is a workaround which will allow you to disable the Lock Screen feature in Windows 10 Anniversary Update version 1607.
this is wrong information : it is no longer able to be shut off in Enterprise LTSB or Enterprise edition, it was also removed in the education version before Pro in the anniversary edition
Thanks for the information. It is not clear what made Microsoft to implement this change.
In Windows 10 v1607 Home, how do I prevent that the lock screen is displayed at Windows startup?
Thanks
Bye
Try with LockScreenGone – an app to disable Lock Screen in Windows 10 Anniversary Update
The Tweak doesn’t work anymore. Instead this registry-key does the trick:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization]
“NoLockScreen”=dword:00000001
So when is 0.8.0.1 coming out with this patch? :D
I was sure I’ve already deployed the fix.
If not, then I am sorry.
0.8.0.1 should come very soon.
I already have fixed 5 bugs there.
You can still disable the lock screen using GPEdit no matter what the description says. (I’m on 1803 atm)
Step 1
Press “Windows-R” to open the Run dialog, type “gpedit.msc” without quotes and press “Enter” to load Group Policy.
Step 2
Double-click “Administrative Templates,” “Control Panel” and then “Personalization” from the left pane’s Computer Configuration section.
Step 3
Double-click “Do Not Display the Lock Screen” in the right pane.
Step 4
Select the “Enabled” option, click “Apply” to activate this rule and click “OK.” With this rule enabled, you will no longer see the lock screen, but Windows still requires a password when you wake the computer from sleep mode.
this gpedit idea does not work either – win-10-pro 1909 02-2020
if i check disable via winaero it does not “take” everytime it reload &/or pc restarts, it is again unchecked & lock screen is there on bootup
Tweak works, although there seems to be a status detection problem in Winaero Tweaker. When I check “Disable Lock Screen” and restart WT, it gets unchecked every time. Tweak still works.
Tested on W10 Home 1909
Thanks