Windows 8 prompts for password after the monitor comes out of sleep mode
I have a Windows 8 Pro computer joined to a Server 2012 domain.  After I walk away from it, the monitor is set to shut off after 15 minutes.  When I come back and shake the mouse to wake up the monitor, I am prompted to enter my password.  How do I keep the machine from prompting me for my password each time the monitor wakes up?

The screensaver is disabled and I don't have a check in the "On resume, display logon screen."  None of the local or domain group policies appear to be causing this either.  My Windows 7 Pro computers are joined to the same domain and none of them have this problem.  They all bring up my desktop as soon as monitor wakes up.

May 14th, 2013 3:54am

Kevin

Press the Windows Logo key+X (or right-click off the bottom left corner) and choose Power Options.

In the left pane, you can change what the power buttons do, i.e. remove requiring a password on wakeup.

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May 14th, 2013 3:34pm

Thanks for the advice, but the computer isn't going to sleep.  Only the monitor is going to sleep.  I have the monitor set to shutoff after 15 minutes.  The computer is set to never go to sleep.  I tried it just to see if it would work, bu
May 14th, 2013 4:04pm

Hi,

It may affected by GPO on your domain.

Try to temporary disjoin the domain to see if the same issue occurs.

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May 15th, 2013 6:24am

Ok, I dis-joined it from the domain > rebooted > forced gpupdate > rebooted again.  No luck.  It still locks my screen after about 15 minutes of inactivity.  If I rememeber correctly, I got the same behavior out of Windows 8 Pro on a fresh install.  This must be the default behavior, but how do I change it?  I don't need to have my screen locked every 15 minutes or so.
May 16th, 2013 4:03am

Hi,

Go to Control Panel\Power Option

Choose a power plan and click Change plan settings

On Turn off the display you can choose Never , the same settings for Put the computer to sleep.

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May 16th, 2013 6:24am

But I shouldn't have to do that to keep the computer from locking, and I need my display to go to sleep.  I don't want it staying on all the time.  My computer is currently set to never go to sleep and I need to keep it that way.  I just want the screen to go off after 15 minutes and I don't want to enter a password again just to wake the
May 16th, 2013 2:50pm

check the advanced options for the power plan in use, look for ask for password from wake up and clear it

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May 23rd, 2013 7:53pm

I tried your suggestion and it didn't work.  I think that setting only applies to sleep mode.  I don't have sleep mode enabled.
May 24th, 2013 12:43am

that is the one to clear

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May 24th, 2013 12:46am

Your statement doesn't make any sense.  The option you suggested does not fix the issue.
May 24th, 2013 2:52pm

Windows 8 should be able stay up.

When I come back from work, I will make some screen shots of Windows 8 and show you how to configure the power

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May 24th, 2013 2:59pm

Sound good.
May 26th, 2013 12:40am

first unless your domain policy has made changes is to go to the control panel


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May 26th, 2013 12:59am

Ok.  Then what?  I am the domain admin and I don't have any Power Options configured in any domain-based GPO.
May 27th, 2013 4:29am

I guess the next step is full machine specs, could be the BIOS is setup wrong too

do you have a screen saver enabled, check the settings on that too

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May 27th, 2013 4:47am

It can't be the BIOS because I have tried it on several different computers and with the same issue.  A friend of mine has the non-Pro edition of Windows 8 on a new laptop and it does the same thing.  As I said above, I don't have the screensaver enabled.  This apparently is the default behavior with Windows 8.  I just need to know how to change it.
May 27th, 2013 4:00pm

then there is a policy hiding somewhere with the domain

I only have 1 server running a dozen virtual machines so I have some limits from which to test

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May 27th, 2013 4:13pm

I'm sure there is a policy or setting somewhere to change this, but it can't be a domain policy because the problem exists even if the computer is not joined to a domain.
May 28th, 2013 3:05pm

make a copy of one of the default plans, and then edit the advanced settings to what you want

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May 28th, 2013 3:17pm

I did that already.  It didn't help.  There are no settings in the plan that seem to apply to this issue.  I think the only password settings in a power plan are the ones that apply to sleep mode and screen savers.  I am not using sleep mode or a screensaver.
May 28th, 2013 10:36pm

machine specs?

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May 28th, 2013 10:59pm

Hardware shouldn't matter since its happening on multiple hardware platforms I have (desktops and laptops) and on different networks I support (both domains and workgroups).
May 29th, 2013 3:40am

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May 29th, 2013 4:54am

Here's my config:

May 29th, 2013 10:36pm

then there is something overriding the standard panel
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May 29th, 2013 10:46pm

I'm not sure what would overwrite it.  It's a domain or local GPO.  I have the problem whether or not it is joined to a domain.  The problem exists either way.
May 30th, 2013 5:54am

This will fix your issue.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/disable-lock-screen-after-waking-in-windows-8/

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June 3rd, 2013 11:30pm

Very close to what I'm looking for Viator28657.  But it looks like this only applies to "waking" the computer up from sleep mode.  My computer isn't going to sleep.  Also, my computer is joined to a domain, so I get this message instead.


June 4th, 2013 3:29am

I noticed something else today.  I set my monitor to never turn itself off.  Nevertheless after about 10 or 15 minutes my screen locked itself.  I need to keep this from happening.
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June 4th, 2013 5:44pm

I think I found the solution - even though you do not have a screensaver, got to personalize, screensaver, and uncheck the box for on resume, display logon screen, apply, ok.  It just worked for me with same problema you reported.  good luck
September 28th, 2013 8:28pm

I've read this entire thread through until 11/14/2012T2041GMT-0700 and I'm in the same boat as you. My system is NOT going to sleep, I have NO screen saver and the screen-saver "Show login screen" is not check yet when ever my screen come out of stand-by, I have to provide a password. Clearly this is a Windows but and these "experts" are looking for quick points because they clearly aren't reading your posts.

Talk about annoying. My machine is physically secure so password-on-resume is just anti-productive.

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November 15th, 2013 6:43am

check in the graphics settings for a screen saver, make sure its set to none

and then the power configurations

if these 2 steps are not doing it, then there is a problem. 

usually when windows malfunctions I install it fresh and try again

faster than fiddling for months

November 15th, 2013 3:56pm

Here's the one that fixed it for me.  Hope this works!  Very frustrating problem.

Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts

Then click "Reset Security Policies" on the left bar.

Original thread I found the fix in: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ace4085a-b0ba-4a98-898d-cd92d9e88e13/windows-8-cannot-change-screensaver-timeout


  • Edited by Skyroket1 Friday, November 22, 2013 3:36 AM
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November 22nd, 2013 3:36am

Here's the one that fixed it for me.  Hope this works!  Very frustrating problem.

Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts

Then click "Reset Security Policies" on the left bar.

Original thread I found the fix in: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ace4085a-b0ba-4a98-898d-cd92d9e88e13/windows-8-cannot-change-screensaver-timeout


  • Edited by Skyroket1 Friday, November 22, 2013 3:36 AM
November 22nd, 2013 3:36am

Here's the one that fixed it for me.  Hope this works!  Very frustrating problem.

Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts

Then click "Reset Security Policies" on the left bar.

Original thread I found the fix in: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ace4085a-b0ba-4a98-898d-cd92d9e88e13/windows-8-cannot-change-screensaver-timeout


  • Edited by Skyroket1 Friday, November 22, 2013 3:36 AM
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November 22nd, 2013 3:36am

Here's the one that fixed it for me.  Hope this works!  Very frustrating problem.

Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts

Then click "Reset Security Policies" on the left bar.

Original thread I found the fix in: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ace4085a-b0ba-4a98-898d-cd92d9e88e13/windows-8-cannot-change-screensaver-timeout


  • Edited by Skyroket1 Friday, November 22, 2013 3:36 AM
November 22nd, 2013 3:36am

Here's the one that fixed it for me.  Hope this works!  Very frustrating problem.

Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts

Then click "Reset Security Policies" on the left bar.

Original thread I found the fix in: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ace4085a-b0ba-4a98-898d-cd92d9e88e13/windows-8-cannot-change-screensaver-timeout


  • Edited by Skyroket1 Friday, November 22, 2013 3:36 AM
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
November 22nd, 2013 3:36am

Here's the one that fixed it for me.  Hope this works!  Very frustrating problem.

Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts

Then click "Reset Security Policies" on the left bar.

Original thread I found the fix in: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ace4085a-b0ba-4a98-898d-cd92d9e88e13/windows-8-cannot-change-screensaver-timeout


  • Edited by Skyroket1 Friday, November 22, 2013 3:36 AM
November 22nd, 2013 6:36am

Not sure if you ever figured out the solution to this... Here's what I did:

Open the right sidebar, click Settings and then "Change PC Settings" at the bottom

Next click Accounts and then Sign-in options

At the bottom of that screen is the "Password policy", change it from the default 15 minutes to Never require a password.

windows 8 password on unlock

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December 7th, 2013 4:22am

Hi Kevin,

Try going to PC Settings (Charm bar->Settings->Change PC Settings). Then click on the lock screen to change its settings. On this page, turn on the setting 'Play slide show on the lock screen'. Now turn off the setting below it which says 'When my PC is inactive, show the lock screen instead of turning off the screen'. You can now turn off the setting 'Play slide show on the lock screen' if you like.

This has worked for me on Windows 8.1 Pro. I hope the solution works for you as well.

December 11th, 2013 11:04pm

I had the same problem as Kevin and now it's fixed. Thanks Lucky Lindy. I needed to click "apply" in order for it to work after a reboot.
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January 5th, 2014 1:30am

This is how I got it to work in 8.1 Pro...

Hover your mouse in the top-right corner, and select "Settings"
Then select "Change PC Settings" at the bottom right
Then select "Accounts" on the left of the screen
Then "Sign-in Options"
At the bottom is the option "Password policy" - click on "change" to disable it from asking for a password when waking from sleep.

My setup was the same as Kevin - joined to an AD domain, I had no screensaver, the computer was set to never go to sleep, only the monitor was required to turn off after 15 mins. Now when I shake the mouse I go straight to the desktop, no password required...

February 6th, 2014 5:51am

amen!
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February 27th, 2014 2:58am

I am having the exact same issue with a new domain of Windows 8.1 computers.

*Monitors go off after 15 minutes even if the power plan, set via GPO, says 30 minutes

*The computers aren't sleeping, they never do as that is disabled via GPO

*But it still prompts them for a password to "wake" from the monitor off

*I've done the registry setting to disable it both as admin and as the users with no change

*Every GPO setting that has anything about prompting for a password is set to NO (power plan, after screen saver, even after sleep which I'm ok with since these are desktops that never sleep)

*The PC settings for Windows 8 isn't applicable when the machine is on a domain.

*There is no Reset Security Policies in a domain.

June 11th, 2014 5:19am

thanks  Rayza73,

boy, they sure managed to make that obscure. 

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July 15th, 2014 7:58pm

Same Problem. Lindy got it right for the fix. Thanks!
July 15th, 2014 9:42pm

Thanks for the advice but that option only applies when the computer is going to sleet.  Mine is set to never go to sleep.  My problem happens after about 15 minutes of inactivity.  The lock screen appears and I have to enter a password to get back into my computer.
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April 17th, 2015 9:57pm

Mine doesn't have a check in that box, yet it is still prompting me for a password after about 15 minutes of inactivity.
April 17th, 2015 10:19pm

That option on my machine is grayed out.

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April 17th, 2015 10:49pm

Finally, the right answer.  This one fixed my problem.  Thanks Skyroket1.
April 19th, 2015 9:36am

Here's the one that fixed it for me.  Hope this works!  Very frustrating problem.

Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts

Then click "Reset Security Policies" on the left bar.

Original thread I found the fix in: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ace4085a-b0ba-4a98-898d-cd92d9e88e13/windows-8-cannot-change-screensaver-timeout


I had given up on this thread but thought I would look at it again.  Finally, the right answer.  This one fixed my problem.  Thanks Skyroket1.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
April 22nd, 2015 10:40pm

Here's the one that fixed it for me.  Hope this works!  Very frustrating problem.

Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts

Then click "Reset Security Policies" on the left bar.

Original thread I found the fix in: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ace4085a-b0ba-4a98-898d-cd92d9e88e13/windows-8-cannot-change-screensaver-timeout


I had given up on this thread but thought I would look at it again.  Finally, the right answer.  This one fixed my problem.  Thanks Skyroket1.
July 20th, 2015 2:59pm

In any environment where you are handling either customer confidential or legally privileged information, automatically locking unused desktops is a bare-minimum must-have to comply with data protection law in Europe, as well as SOX and HIPA in the US, and EU safe harbour processing in the US and any country with a similar agreement. This applies to virtually every computer used for work purposes in the EU, and in any US company which has any EU customers. ANY EU CUSTOMERS. Since you are joined to a domain I assume it applies to you.

This policy does not just protect your customers, it also protects you: This is because, if your workstation is not locked anyone can walk up to your computer and perform any action you could perform, and you will have no way of proving it was not you.

Any competent systems administrator will have this policy enforced by group policy. If your admins have not done this you should be asking them to do it not trying to circumvent it.

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August 15th, 2015 4:34am

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