How to Fix your Laptop that Keeps Locking (STEPS)

Why Does My Laptop Keep Locking?

Technology has made our lives incredibly easier. It is because we have come to depend on them for anything and everything. Your laptop locking itself up can hamper this dependability.

Figuring out why your laptop keeps locking itself can be particularly tricky.

However, the list below illustrates some of the reasons why your laptop keeps locking itself.

• Display settings: You might have set your display settings a certain way (for instance, locking after 5 or 10 minutes). So, your display settings may be responsible for your laptop continuously locking itself up.
• System failure: If your laptop shuts down after locking itself up, then a system failure might be the reason for that.
• Overheating: Sometimes, due to overheating, the laptop locks itself as a way to prevent damage to the laptop.
• Updates: Because of critical software and hardware updates, your laptop might lock itself. The laptop may do so to continue critical laptop updates in the background.

In most cases, the laptop keeps locking itself up following a trigger to lock it after several minutes of inactivity. This may be because of the settings that you inputted sometime before.

To prevent your laptop from locking, you can simply change the display settings.

In case of troubles, even after changing settings, try seeking professional help. Read below to find specific solutions to your problems.

 

How Do I Stop my Laptop from Locking?

1. Disable lock screen timer.
2. Change the lock screen timeout settings and increase the timer duration.
3. Furthermore, you can try disabling the blank screensaver.
4. Attune the sleep timeout according to your needs and for however long for inactivity periods.

The checklist may vary from brand to brand. Importantly, in popular brands like HP, Lenovo, Acer, it is the default values inputted into the system that create problems. Check out the default values with either of the above-mentioned steps.

 

Laptop locks up randomly

Is your laptop locking up randomly out of nowhere? Well, do not stress. You can easily fix this random locking-up. As stated above, you can try attuning the settings to your needs and operations.

Furthermore, for a specific solution to your questions, consider the following solutions. They are as follows:

• Disable the dynamic lock (for Windows)

With Windows, the dynamic lock enables accessibility to the system without using a password or a pin.

Dynamic lock enables the use of Bluetooth devices. Also, it locks up the system, losing Bluetooth connectivity with the concerned device.

This implies that whenever your Bluetooth device is out of range, it will prompt the laptop to lock up its system.

 

• Change the lock setting for the inactive times

For other systems besides Windows, change the display settings and set the lock timer for the required duration.

This will ensure that your laptop does not immediately lock itself up.

It locks up as soon as it meets the extreme of the specified inactivity duration.

 

Windows10 laptop locks up after sleep mode

Have you been stressed out about your Windows 10 laptop locking itself up? Well, rest assured, read ahead to find out how to prevent this, especially after sleep mode.

Method #1:

1. Click on start and then head to settings.
2. Click on system.
3. Next, click on the power and sleep settings menu and change the setting to ‘never’.
4. This will ensure that your laptop does not lock up after sleep mode.

Alternatively, you can try out the steps given below if the above-mentioned way doesn’t work.

 

Method #2:

1. If the issue still plagues you, head to the device manager.
2. For this, first press the Windows Key + X.
3. Next, click on the device manager.
4. Follow this up by clicking on ‘display adapters’. This will display an expanded list of display adaptors.
5. Then, click on ‘update driver software’ from the drop-down menu.
6. Make sure to select the option to automatically look for the updated driver software upon completion.
7. After the completion of the update, verify it for yourself after restarting the laptop.

 

Method #3:

You can also use the clean boot way, as well. Just perform the clean boot, and it will do the job for you.

Clean Boot identifies the involvement of any third-party applications and related items and resolves the issue.

 

Windows 10 locks after one minute

What if your Windows 10 laptop keeps locking itself after a minute of inactivity? This continuous locking up can be irritating at times. It could be for various reasons, primarily because of system settings.

Follow the steps given below to stop this.

1. Click on start.
2. Go to settings and then click on system

• When you click on system, a window will open up.

1. Move to the power and sleep settings menu.
2. Next, click on additional power settings.
3. This will open up a window displaying a bunch of setting defaults.

• Click on choose when to turn off display settings.
• Put in a value, and you are good to go.

1. Finally, select change advanced power settings.
2. Alternatively, you can click on restore plan defaults.

 

Windows 10 locks after 2 minutes

Similarly, you may face a problem like the above-mentioned one. Your laptop may lock itself up after just 2 minutes of inactivity. This can drive productivity down.

To fix this, you can follow the steps given above. They illustrate how to change display settings. Also, they show how to stop your Windows 10 laptop from locking after short durations of no activity.

Alternatively, you can try changing settings in the following manner.

1. First, begin by pressing the Windows key + letter R key.
2. This will launch the run program.
3. The run prompt will open up. After this, type in regedit into the dialog box. Press Enter.
4. The registry editor will open up. Navigate to the control widget.
5. Do this by clicking system >current control set >control >power >power settings.
6. Look for attributes in the registry editor and double-click.
7. To modify, enter a new, appropriate value in the required field.
8. Click the OK button.
9. Finally, exit the registry editor, and you have your personalized locking timer.

 

Windows 10 locking after 5 minutes

In such an instance, you can try the above-mentioned methodologies. Both the above-mentioned methods are equally serviceable. Alternatively, you can try out the following steps:

1. Click on start.
2. Search for power options in the settings menu.
3. Click on the required result.
4. Next, click on change plan settings from the displayed window.
5. Then, select the change advanced power settings options.
6. Next, select the ‘change settings that are currently unavailable’ option.
7. Select the sleep option.
8. After this, select the ‘system unattended sleep timeout’ option. Change the default value by entering the required new value suited to your needs in the dialog box.
9. Finally, select hibernate after the last option and change its duration as well.

 

HP laptop keeps locking and turning off

If your HP laptop locks itself and then turns off, then there might be a bigger underlying problem. The cause may be more than just default system settings. Some of the probable causes are as follows:

1. Overheating: Excessive use of the laptop, overburdening the system, etc. can lead to overheating. More often than not, overheating is the reason behind laptops locking and turning off.
2. Battery: Overcharging or long hours of usage can prompt battery failure. This can, in turn, lead to the laptop locking itself up and shutting down.
3. System Failure: With system failure, your laptop can lock itself and shut down too.

To fix this, you should seek professional help. The service centers are of great help. They know their job and will ensure that you do not face the problem again. Alternatively, you can try reinstalling Windows on your HP laptop.

 

HP laptop keeps locking up

Now, there can be two reasons why your HP laptop locks itself up. They are as follows:

1. It locks itself up as it comes out of sleep mode.
2. It locks itself randomly.

 

In response to both, you can try the following methods:

Method #1:

1. Restart the laptop.
2. Attune the power and sleep settings to your needs.
3. After this, update the BIOS.

 

Method #2:

1. Begin by looking for any failing hardware components.
2. For this, click on start.
3. Search for hardware diagnostic tools.
4. Click on the hardware diagnostic tools option from the search results.
5. A window will open. Select the system test from the left side of the window.
6. Let the system test run. Make sure that you don’t check CD write tests.
7. Based on your results, you might then know what to do.

For instance, if your laptop’s memory, processor, or the graphics adapter test fails, then your laptop might be shutting off due to the following reasons:

1. Overheating
2. System failure
3. Battery

You might have to seek professional help from here on. Professionals can give you personalized help based on your HP laptop type. Also, you might just have to just clean the air vents.

 

Dell laptop keeps locking

A lock-up may make your laptop unresponsive. There are several ways to find out the root cause. Once you find out a root cause, you can quickly decide upon a solution.

If you’ve recently made some changes, consider tracing back the steps to these changes. They might clue you in as to what the problem is.

If the laptop is locking itself up, then it is probably because of the hardware devices attached to it. Unplug all those devices. The devices may range from printers, scanners, pen drives, CDs, media card readers, etc.

Press the power button for approximately 15 seconds. Then, wait for the computer to restart.

Search for Windows error codes or update the BIOS. You can try out the first method used to fix the problem on an HP laptop.

 

Acer laptop keeps locking

In the case of Acer laptops, based on your software system, you can fix the problem easily. Use the above-mentioned methods recommended for fixing a lock-up on an HP laptop.

Alternatively, try unplugging all external devices or any hardware devices. Furthermore, you can try adjusting the display adapter settings. You might have to clean the air vents in response to the memory, processor, or the graphics adapter test failure.

 

Asus laptop keeps locking

If your Asus laptop keeps on locking itself, then it might be due to internal or external issues. Internal issues include:

1. Battery problems
2. System failure
3. System overuse
4. Overheating
5. Unclean air vents

The external problems may include problems from external hardware devices.

To fix these problems, try adjusting the default settings or you can run the hardware diagnostics test.

 

Lenovo laptop keeps locking

If your Lenovo laptop keeps locking itself, you don’t have to worry. While you may have checked all the power settings, there is something you have left.

You might have missed out on the ‘system unattended sleep timeout’ option. If you have Windows 10 core processor, the advanced power settings won’t have this option.

You might have to use the registry edit method:

1. Press the Windows key + letter R key.
2. As the run prompt opens up, fill in the dialog box by typing ‘regedit’. Press enter.
3. Upon opening the registry edit window, navigate to the control widget.
4. For this, input: system >current control set >control >power >power settings.
5. Navigate to the attributes option in the registry editor and double click.
6. This will display a value field. Enter a new value.
7. Click on the OK button.
8. Exit registry editor and you are good to go.

Toshiba laptop keeps locking

Similarly, a Toshiba laptop might lock itself due to internalized and externalized errors.

In case of externalized errors, try unplugging hardware devices.

In case of internalized errors, look for troubleshooting problems and causes. Once you know the root of the problem, you can easily find out a solution.