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4 Ways to Lock the Screen in Windows 10

4 Ways to Lock the Screen in Windows 10

December 4, 2018 by Mitch Bartlett 5 Comments

Locking your Microsoft Windows 10 computer screen is important for protecting your data from wandering eyes. This is especially true in the workplace. Nobody you work with needs to see that photo from when you dressed as Ulala from Space Channel 5 for Halloween 2000. Most of us already lock our screens whenever we leave our cubicle to attend a meeting or gossip about the awful dress Trisha is wearing today. But did you know there are 4 different ways you can lock your Windows 10 screen?


Option 1 – Ctrl + Alt + Delete then Enter

This is the common one most people already know about. Hold “Ctrl” and “Alt“, then press “Delete“. After options appear on the screen, press “Enter“.


Option 2 – Windows Key + L

Since the Windows Key has been introduced, it has largely been ignored. Hold down Windows Key and press “L” for a quicker way of locking your screen.


Option 3 – Start Menu

  1. Select the “Start” button.
  2. Select your Windows Account profile picture icon, then choose “Lock Screen“.

Option 4 – Create Shortcut

If keystrokes are way too much for you to handle, you can make an icon that will lock your screen.

  1. Right-click any blank area of the Desktop.
  2. Select “New” > “Shortcut“.
    Win7 New Shortcut menu
  3. For the location of the item type “C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation” and click “Next“.
    Set shortcut icon location
  4. Give the icon a name, like “Lock Screen“, then click “Finish“.
    Name Lock Screen iconNow you have a Screen Lock icon you can double-click whenever you leave your desk.
    Lock Screen icon
    You can even take it a step further and pin it to your taskbar. Click it once and lock your screen.

Lock Screen icon pinned to taskbar

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Filed Under: Windows

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dan LaMoreaux says

    August 10, 2022 at 8:08 pm

    does anybody know of an application that could lockout the mouse and keyboard, yet leave the display alone? i want to secure a common PC with a live production display on it.

  2. Katie says

    December 20, 2021 at 8:02 am

    Exactly what I was looking for! And info not hidden behind a paywall and didn’t make me remove ad blocker.
    Thanks for this!

  3. David S says

    December 19, 2021 at 9:06 am

    Windows Key + L is what I was looking for thanks!

  4. fritz says

    March 6, 2020 at 11:57 am

    how to undo the lacked screen when you need to
    resume work?

  5. none says

    January 9, 2020 at 11:54 am

    AWESOME! Thanks!

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Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

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