# Why is XP logging me out **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xp-logging-me-out/369119 "2006-08-17T18:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Placid\_Liver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@Placid\_Liver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Placid_Liver)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xp-logging-me-out/369119/1 "2006-08-17T18:31:47Z")
argghh a question I’m dismayed to have to ask. I don’t know why but in the last day or two Windows keeps logging out and sitting at the login screen after periods of inactivity (I have the screen set to turn off after about 10 minutes and this will ‘wake’ it up to turn the screen on again as it logs out). It’s an HP laptop running XP service pack 2, and this problem presents itself typically when I’m running Winamp (although it doesn’t only happen during Winamp). Forunately the music doesn’t stop playing at the login screen, but it’s still annoying. Is there a “auto log-off” function somewhere that I might’ve changed by accident? Is a program doing this? ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xp-logging-me-out/369119/2 "2006-08-17T19:20:22Z")
When XP goes to “sleep” it automatically locks the computer. It should be possible to disable that in the Power Management settings. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xp-logging-me-out/369119/3 "2006-08-18T00:58:40Z")
Is the screen saver turned on, too? The screen saver page in the Display Properties control panel has a checkbox that makes the computer return to the Welcome screen when it resumes from the screen saver. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xp-logging-me-out/369119/4 "2006-08-18T03:48:22Z")
> [@Placid Liver](#): > > argghh a question I’m dismayed to have to ask. I don’t know why but in the last day or two Windows keeps logging out and sitting at the login screen after periods of inactivity (I have the screen set to turn off after about 10 minutes and this will ‘wake’ it up to turn the screen on again as it logs out). It’s an HP laptop running XP service pack 2, and this problem presents itself typically when I’m running Winamp (although it doesn’t only happen during Winamp). Forunately the music doesn’t stop playing at the login screen, but it’s still annoying. Is there a “auto log-off” function somewhere that I might’ve changed by accident? Is a program doing this? XP does have an auto logoff feature but its part of an XP power tools option pack that IIRC is not normally installed especially in XP home. ---
**Author:** ![Otanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Otanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otanx)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xp-logging-me-out/369119/5 "2006-08-18T09:50:34Z")
Right click on the desktop, go to properties, screen saver tab. Uncheck “On resume, display Welcome screen”, click OK. -Otanx ---
**Author:** ![Carlyjay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Carlyjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlyjay)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xp-logging-me-out/369119/6 "2006-08-18T12:46:30Z")
Mine did this as well, after I added another user to the login options. As others have said, you can likely stop this unpleasant new habit by changing your desktop settings.