Prevent asking for password upon resume on Windows 8 tablet

I have a client who has bought several Windows 8 Pro tablets for use in his company. They are all joined to the domain. He has one request for managing them. That is to NOT require a password when the table is resumed from sleep.

I have created a GPO where in User Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | System | Power Management the policy of "Prompt for password on resume from hibernate/suspend" is set to Disabled. Also at Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | System | Power Management | Sleep Settings, the policies of "Require a password when a computer wakes (on battery)" and "Require a password when a computer wakes (plugged in)" are both set to Disabled.

The GPO is linked to the OU where tablets are put in and the Security Filtering is set for Authenticated Users and Domain Computers.

The power management on the tablet itself is set to not ask for a password when waking.

With all the above set, when you press the power button on the tablet to put it to sleep and then press it again to wake it up, it is still asking for the password.

I have looked in the registry at the location where the GPO History is stored and it shows the GPO there so I'm sure it's getting applied.

Anyone have any idea what else to look for or to do to set these tablets so they do NOT ask for a password when resuming from sleep?

May 24th, 2013 3:41pm

Are the users an Administrator of their tablets?

Set this policy via the computer configuration node, tested this on a Windows 8 laptop and its working.


  • Edited by PeterAUS Saturday, May 25, 2013 5:58 AM
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May 25th, 2013 5:53am

Are the users an Administrator of their tablets?

Set this policy via the computer configuration node, tested this on a Windows 8 laptop and its working.


  • Edited by PeterAUS Saturday, May 25, 2013 5:58 AM
May 25th, 2013 5:53am

Are the users an Administrator of their tablets?

Set this policy via the computer configuration node, tested this on a Windows 8 laptop and its working.


Some are, some aren't local administrators. All are getting the same behavior.

Which policy are you referring to setting via computer configuration? As I stated, one part of the GPO (resume from hibernate/suspend) is set in User Configuration and the other part (Require a password when a computer wakes) is set in Computer Configuration.

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May 28th, 2013 2:08pm

Not requiring a password is a dangerous and insecure policy. If the goal is to make password input on a touchscreen easier, have the user set up a PIN on the device after setting up their user account.
  • Edited by EntegyMVP Tuesday, May 28, 2013 2:26 PM
May 28th, 2013 2:26pm

Not requiring a password is a dangerous and insecure policy. If the goal is to make password input on a touchscreen easier, have the user set up a PIN on the device after setting up their user account.
  • Edited by EntegyMVP Tuesday, May 28, 2013 2:26 PM
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May 28th, 2013 2:26pm

Not requiring a password is a dangerous and insecure policy. If the goal is to make password input on a touchscreen easier, have the user set up a PIN on the device after setting up their user account.

You're preaching to the choir. The customer has been informed of the security dangers but this is what he wants and so this is what he gets.

May 28th, 2013 2:36pm

Has he been informed of the PIN option?
Has he been also beaten over the head with the security stick? (Or more seriously, a higher support cost if he deliberately ignores the simplest security measure?)

I wasn't even aware it was possible to disable passwords on a domain.

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May 28th, 2013 7:12pm

Has he been informed of the PIN option?
Has he been also beaten over the head with the security stick? (Or more seriously, a higher support cost if he deliberately ignores the simplest security measure?)

I wasn't even aware it was possible to disable passwords on a domain.

He wants nothing, plain and simple, for when resuming from sleep. That's all there is to it. And yes you can disable passwords in a domain.

May 28th, 2013 7:42pm

You need to set the resume from hibernation in the Computer Settings

If they are not an Administrator is must be set using the Computer Configuration as it runs in the security context of the computer not the user.

Setup both on battery and plugged in.


  • Proposed as answer by PeterAUS Friday, May 31, 2013 7:20 AM
  • Unproposed as answer by SmallBizAdmin Friday, May 31, 2013 12:58 PM
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May 31st, 2013 7:20am

You need to set the resume from hibernation in the Computer Settings

If they are not an Administrator is must be set using the Computer Configuration as it runs in the security context of the computer not the user.

Setup both on battery and plugged in.


  • Proposed as answer by PeterAUS Friday, May 31, 2013 7:20 AM
  • Unproposed as answer by SmallBizAdmin Friday, May 31, 2013 12:58 PM
May 31st, 2013 7:20am

You need to set the resume from hibernation in the Computer Settings

If they are not an Administrator is must be set using the Computer Configuration as it runs in the security context of the computer not the user.

Setup both on battery and plugged in.


I guess you didn't notice in my original post that I have set this very setting and it has made no difference. The tablet I have for testing still asks for a password when resuming from sleep.

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May 31st, 2013 12:59pm

Apologies for not seeing the part about the computer policy

Does your default domain policy have interactive log on disabled?

Interactive logon: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL

Try disabling inheritance on the OU, But without seeing the polices linked to the OU it makes it difficult..

June 3rd, 2013 1:11am

Apologies for not seeing the part about the computer policy

Does your default domain policy have interactive log on disabled?

Interactive logon: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL

Try disabling inheritance on the OU, But without seeing the polices linked to the OU it makes it difficult..

No it does not. Passwords at logon are wanted, he just doesn't want them upon resuming from sleep for tablets and laptops. I've looked through the policies inherited by the OU where the tablets are located and the only settings to do with passwords are the ones setting password length, expiration, etc. The only settings having to do with my issue are in the policy I created which has disabled asking for a password when the computer wakes.

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June 3rd, 2013 1:36pm

Jonathan,Not sure if you ever got to the bottom of this, but we had an issue recently that was very similar to yours on Windows 8.1, which we resolved.

Requirement was to not require a password on resume. We configured the 3 common GPO settings to not require password (on the power plan, on the system/Power Management/Sleep Settings and on the screen saver). All of these were honoured for up to 15mins, then they were being overridden somehow. After sifting through the 400+ policies, we located the offending setting. After disabling this setting and applying the change, the devices never prompt for a password on resume now.

Setting is a Computer Policy and called Interactive logon:Machine inactivity limit

Hope this helps/helped

May 18th, 2015 6:57pm

Jonathan,Not sure if you ever got to the bottom of this, but we had an issue recently that was very similar to yours on Windows 8.1, which we resolved.

Requirement was to not require a password on resume. We configured the 3 common GPO settings to not require password (on the power plan, on the system/Power Management/Sleep Settings and on the screen saver). All of these were honoured for up to 15mins, then they were being overridden somehow. After sifting through the 400+ policies, we located the offending setting. After disabling this setting and applying the change, the devices never prompt for a password on resume now.

Setting is a Computer Policy and called Interactive logon:Machine inactivity limit

Hope this helps/helped

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 18th, 2015 10:56pm

Jonathan,Not sure if you ever got to the bottom of this, but we had an issue recently that was very similar to yours on Windows 8.1, which we resolved.

Requirement was to not require a password on resume. We configured the 3 common GPO settings to not require password (on the power plan, on the system/Power Management/Sleep Settings and on the screen saver). All of these were honoured for up to 15mins, then they were being overridden somehow. After sifting through the 400+ policies, we located the offending setting. After disabling this setting and applying the change, the devices never prompt for a password on resume now.

Setting is a Computer Policy and called Interactive logon:Machine inactivity limit

Hope this helps/helped

May 18th, 2015 10:56pm

I never did get this resolved and this looks like what I was looking for. I'll try it. Thanks!

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May 19th, 2015 9:26am

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