# Quick XP question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-xp-question/622507>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 20, 2012, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-xp-question/622507 "2012-05-20T11:45:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-xp-question/622507/1 "2012-05-20T11:45:50Z")

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My PC suddenly started asking me for my profile password if the desktop is idle for, say, 5 minutes. Having never felt the need to turn this feature on, I find that I cannot recall how to turn it off. (I do believe I’ve seen the checkbox for it somewhere, ha ha, like that helps.)

Anyway, it’s driving me crazy, especially since it seems to routinely reject the password until the third try. (Which incidentally makes me hella suspicious.) How does one turn it off?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-xp-question/622507/2 "2012-05-20T11:59:58Z")

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Close or minimize all windows. Right-click on the Desktop and choose Properties. Choose the tab called “Screen Saver”. Select the desired screen saver (or “(None)” if you never want the screen to go blank). The part about the password is “On resume, display Welcome screen”, which you’ll want to turn off. Press OK to confirm everything.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-xp-question/622507/3 "2012-05-23T18:46:41Z")

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> [@brujaja](#):
>
> Which incidentally makes me hella suspicious.

I’d be suspicious, too. Did you check [the sticky for malware at the top of the GQ forum](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=538187)?