scroll to bottom of conversation for latest post
Joe M. wrote:
Upon inactivity I would like to activate a password protected
screensaver. However my screensaver settings in the display
properties does not have a password option. I've heard that if your
user account has a password then the screen saver will also, but
this isn't the case. When my screen saver runs there's no password
prompt. Can anyone help?
VanguardLH wrote:
You mean an option to enter the password, or an option to *enable*
password protection when the screen saver activates?There is an "on
resume" option to enable password protection. There is no input
field to specify the password as the same one gets reused that you
used to login to your Windows account. Are you saying that somehow
the dialog window shown at
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_do_..._password.html
no longer shows the "on resume" password protect option (even if
grayed out) shown in the red circle in the picture?
Are you using the screen savers included in Windows or from a 3rd
party product?
Do you use auto-logging to automatically log into your Windows
account when you boot the computer?
Joe M. wrote:
In answer to your questions:
- There is no option to enable password protection.
- It is not grayed out, it doesn't appear at all.
- I do not use automatic logging. We have 3 user accounts and you
must log on in the welcome screen.
- These are with the Windows XP screensavers
VanguardLH wrote:
Are you logged in under an admin-level account when you check the
screensaver settings?
Is(are) the host(s) in a domain? If so, group policy can dictate
that users cannot modify screensaver settings. That includes
preventing the users from changing the time to wait before
activating the screensaver and disabling password protection.
Group policies are recorded in the registry so it is also possible
to enforce the same behavior using a local security policy. I
don't know what is the registry setting. However, my recollection
when using a group/local policy to disable the password protect
option (usually to force it enabled) is that the option is greyed
out to show that changing it is disabled, not that it disappears
completely from that dialog.
If you pick no screensaver (i.e., "(None)"), do the Wait and "On
Resume" option appear (but greyed out)? Do they appear (whether
greyed out or not) if you pick a different screensaver?
Joe M. wrote:
- This is a home pc so there is no domain.
- My account is the administrator.
- The "wait" and "on resume" are visible regardless if a
screensaver i sselected or not.
- The wait for _minutes is visible. The only option to chose is
"return to Welcome screen".
- If I select a screensaver then it will appear after the wait time
specified. However there is no password prompt it just returns to
the desktop.
Joe M. wrote:
Sorry if I was not clear.
What I see in the screen saver settings is:
- Wait (to set the minutes)
- Check box for "on resume display welcome screen"
That's all there is. If I leave the "on resume" unchecked the
screen saver will appear after the wait time but there is no
password prompt when the screen saver is activated. Pressing any
key stops the screen saver and returns to the desktop.
For the explanation you give - yes... That's correct.
Did you mistakenly write something other than what you intended to write?
Questions for you (Yes/No):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) When you turn off and turn on the power to said computer - do you
have to click on the user account name on the Welcome Screen
and enter a password (not blank, not just ENTER) to logon to
utilize the computer?
2) You select a screensaver (like "Blank" or "Windows XP") and you do see
"On Resume, display Welcome Screen"... And above you say it is
UNCHECKED. You do realize that has to be CHECKED to be active...?
Assuming you meant it WAS checked (not what you said)...
3) How long do you wait before de-activating the screensaver to see if it
returned to the logon prompt/welcome screen?
Suggestions:
~~~~~~~~~~
- Make sure the checkbox for "On Resume, display Welcome Screen"
is checked...
- I'd suggest installing TweakUI and checking what the settings are for
the "Grace Period".
- Have you seen this?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328000
- Checked the registry value?
http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/1189/
--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html