Disable/Enable Lock Workstation Functionality (Windows + L)
As everybody knows, using the Windows+L keys together will lock your workstation running Windows 7, XP or Vista. Did you realize that you can also disable this function by using a registry hack?
I suspect that this article will be much more useful to those of you who can’t lock your workstation, but either way we’ll show how to configure this setting.
Manual Registry Hack
Open up regedit.exe through the start menu search box, and then browse down to the following key, creating it if it doesn’t exist:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
On the right-hand side, create a new DWORD 32-bit value named DisableLockWorkstation and give it one of these values:
- 1 – Disable Lock Workstation
- 0 – Enable Lock Workstation
The changes should be immediate, no need to restart anything.
Downloadable Registry Hack
I’ve provided the hack in a downloadable registry file. Just unzip and then click on the Enable or Disable script, depending on which action you feel like taking.
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Hi, Its working on XP too
thanx
Used it on XP, just perfect. Thanks!
It didn’t work in vista. I can still lock the Vista using (windows+L), but no “lock workstation” under start menu. Do you know any other reg key to fix it?
Funny, I had the opposite happen to me. I can’t press Windows-L to lock the workstation any more after the registry modification, but the Lock option is still on my Start menu (though it does nothing when clicked). This is nice for Mac users running Windows who are used to the Windows and Alt keys being elsewhere.
I can’t lock windows XP by using Windows+L keys.. and neither is there the “lock workstation” on the Start Menu :s..
Thank you! This worked great for me. Now I have disabled the windows lock function which was causing constant problems for me.
How to automaticly run some programm when user press WIN+L or other way he locks the workstation?
Works great for our xp kiosk I setup. Now there is no more ctrl-alt-del lock computer choice, it is grayed out. win-l does nothing. users were doing win-l and locking up the unit. we had to ether reboot the computer or wait for someone from engineering to log the kiosk out to use the kiosk again. was able to merge the reg hack into the registry with out login as administrator or even loging the kiosk out, worked like a charm.
Just in case it is a combo of things i wanted to state that i did run gpedit.msc and disable the ctrl-alt-del in the -user configuration -administrative templates -system, I actually had to right click and ad/remove templated before i could see the system template with ctrl-alt-del.
This has saved me. Works under Vista. The value was there but had reset itself to 1 for some reason.
Many thanks for a great tip as I using Windows-L to lock my PC when I go away for a few moments all the time.
It’s works, thanks. WINXP
Thank’s, the Opposite happened to me, it is solved again….
Thanks a lot…
working like a charm…
Go to Run -> GPEDIT.MSC
Then navigate to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Ctrl+Alt+Del Options
Change the ‘Remove Lock Computer’ option to enabled if you want to remove the ability to lock the computer.
gracias y chupenmela}
This has saved me.Now there is no more ctrl-alt-del lock computer choice, it is grayed out. win-l does nothing. users were doing win-l and locking up the unit. we had to ether reboot the computer or wait for someone from engineering to log the kiosk out to use the kiosk again. was able to merge the reg hack into the registry with out login as administrator or even loging the kiosk out, worked like a charm.
Funny, I had the opposite happen to me. I can’t press Windows-L to lock the workstation any more after the registry modification, but the Lock option is still on my Start menu (though it does nothing when clicked). This has saved me. Works under Vista. The value was there but had reset itself to 1 for some reason.
Many thanks for a great tip as I using Windows-L to lock my PC when I go away for a few moments all the time.