How-To Geek
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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Comments (34)
Programmer by day, geek by night, The Geek, also known as Lowell Heddings, spends all his free time bringing you fresh geekery on a daily basis. You can follow him on Google+ if you'd like.
- Published 09/20/07
Hi, Its working on XP too :D 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.
How do I hide User information(last user logged on) from the following: Lock Workstation Screen, Ctrl Alt Del, Task Manager?
I don’t want to know to how to lock my computor in the startup, shut menu taskbar. Iwant to know how to unlock. any help
thanks,
Lockedup
worked for me in Win 7! thanks!! i was looking all over for this, so that I could use the win+L combo in an OS X virutalbox guest.
Works great the lock workstation – computer was haveing lots of problem at my house people where changeing there password the locking it and they got my password to my admin account and then they had to unlock it becaues admin or the user that locked it had to be the one to unlock it.
Thank howtogeek.com
i got a lot of help from u
This really helped me out….my windows 7 was locked up while downloading at night while i was sleeping i was really pissed…more like full mindfuck….and this helped me Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u Thank u
In windows 7, key under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System works for the current user only . If any other user logs in, windows lock is still available!!! Any idea how to apply this for all the users who logs ino the system through regisry ?
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system\
My Windows 7 machine doesn’t have a ‘system’ subfolder within the ‘policies’ folder. Will it work if I place the new DWORD 32-bit value named DisableLockWorkstation in the policies instead? i.e. here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\
Thankz its working…
tyvm!
its not worked on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE….
its work only for HKEY_CURRENT_USER….
plz how i can applay this policy for all users ????
Thanx
Used it on XP, just perfect. Thanks!
very good option
thanks
thanks, great !!!!!!!!!!!! i can able to do this by using the given steps.
dear pras,
regedit is applicable for the single profile , if u want to apply dor all the profile means try it gpedit
Guys,
It was worked after running gpupdate /force.
But any ways thanks !!!!!!!!
Thank you! Thank you! I have a seven year old that likes to jump on my computer when I don’t want him to. Now, I will have to input the password when he wants to use it. I wonder now whether when I installed Family Safety, that it makes changes to disable the lock. Windows 7 Ultimate.