# How do I 'lock' my xp computer without using the screensaver? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695 "2005-04-17T00:37:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/1 "2005-04-17T00:37:39Z")
I’ve noticed that a work colleague’s computer is locked when he leaves for work (rather than completely logged out, since he’s the only person who uses that physical PC) I can lock my own by setting a password on the screensaver, but is there a simple way of locking it without waiting one minute for the password-protected screensaver to lock it for me? ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/2 "2005-04-17T00:45:11Z")
Ctrl-alt-delete, Lock Computer. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/3 "2005-04-17T00:49:01Z")
I may be being incredibly dense here but i’m using Windows XP Pro and can’t see this option on the Task Manager, where abouts is it? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/4 "2005-04-17T00:53:20Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > I may be being incredibly dense here but i’m using Windows XP Pro and can’t see this option on the Task Manager, where abouts is it? me neither. I tried ctrl-alt-delete before even compising the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/5 "2005-04-17T00:54:27Z")
Or ‘composing’ even. ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/6 "2005-04-17T00:58:02Z")
Windows-key + L will do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/7 "2005-04-17T00:58:17Z")
I think I have found [the answer](http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1483547,00.asp) > [@](#): > > The article “Quickly Lock the Computer” offers a workaround for the fact that you can no longer lock a Windows XP machine by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del followed by Enter. Quite a few puzzled readers wrote in, because they found this key combination still works for them precisely the same way it did under Windows 2000. > > Why would it work on some systems and not others? The difference involves the use of the Welcome screen. If you configure Windows XP to use the Welcome screen, Ctrl-Alt-Del brings up Task Manager. If you configure it to log-on using the Windows 2000 style, Ctrl-Alt-Del brings up Windows Security and pressing Enter at that point locks your computer. > > To enable or disable the Welcome screen, launch the User Accounts applet from the Control Panel and click on the link Change the way users log on or off. The box titled Use the welcome screen for fast and easy logon controls whether the Welcome screen is displayed. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/8 "2005-04-17T09:41:17Z")
Note that you can still lock the screen if you use the Welcome screen (assuming your account has a password), it’s just not one of the options that comes up immediately when you hit ctrl-alt-delete. In Task Manager, it’s the “Switch User” option under the “Shut Down” menu, or Windows-L, as **Catalyst** points out. The reason for the difference in behavior depending on whether you have the Welcome screen enabled is that the “Windows Security” screen is necessary for environments where good computer security is a requirement, but more casual users are used to the Win9x task-manager-like thing popping up when you hit ctrl-alt-delete. The Welcome screen is inherently less secure than the standard “press ctrl-alt-delete to log on” screen, so Microsoft assumes that if you enable the Welcome screen, you’re obviously not in the category of user that needs the extra security of the “Windows Security” screen, so enabling one disables the other. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-lock-my-xp-computer-without-using-the-screensaver/299695/9 "2005-04-17T09:43:27Z")
My post would probably be a little clearer if I used the word “whereas” instead of “but” in the first sentence of the second paragraph.