Locking Your Computer Screen on Windows

Students, faculty, and staff can use shortcuts to lock their computer screens. Locking computer screens protects the information stored on them by requiring the user to re-enter the computer's password in order to access it. When manually locking computer screens, the computers continue to run in the background so you will be able to quickly unlock the screen without having to restart the computer. 

Methods

Start Menu

1. Open the Start Menu by clicking on the Windows Logo at the bottom left side of the screen. 

2. On the left side of the pane that pops up, click on your User Profile (a small circle with your computer account's profile picture).

3. Click Lock.

Ctrl + Alt + Delete

1. Press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete buttons at the same time on your keyboard.

2. Select Lock from the options that appear on the screen. 

Windows Key

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows Logo key.

2. While holding down the Windows Logo key, press the letter L on your keyboard. 

Unlocking Your Computer Screen

1. Press any key on your keyboard to wake up the display.

2. Enter your computer password as you normally would.

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