When you are stepping away from your Windows 10 or 11 computer, it’s best to lock your PC’s screen so that others cannot access it.
When you lock your Windows 10/11 PC, Windows displays the lock screen. To access the desktop or applications again, you need to sign-in to your account again by entering the password, PIN, or using your fingerprint.
In this guide, we have put together the five easy ways to lock your Windows 10/11 PC’s screen.
Method 1 of 5
Lock Windows 10/11 PC’s screen via the Start menu
Step 1: Open the Start menu by clicking the Start/Windows logo button or pressing the Windows logo key on the keyboard.
Step 2: In the Start menu, click on the user profile picture to see the Lock option. Click on the Lock option to lock your Windows 10/11 PC’s screen.
Method 2 of 5
Lock Windows 10/11 screen using the keyboard shortcut
Windows 10 and 11 offer a nifty keyboard shortcut to lock the screen. Simultaneously press the Windows logo and L keys on the keyboard (Windows logo + L) to lock the screen immediately.
Method 3 of 5
Lock Windows 10/11 screen via Ctrl + Alt + Delete screen
If you have been using a version of Windows for a long time, you probably know about the Ctrl + Alt + Delete screen. In addition to options to access the Task Manager and power options, the screen also shows an option to lock screen. Here is how.
Step 1: Simultaneously press Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys on the keyboard to see the Ctrl + Alt + Delete screen.
Step 2: When at the Ctrl + Alt + Delete screen, click the Lock option to lock the PC’s screen immediately.
Method 4 of 5
Lock Windows 10/11 PC via Command Prompt
Step 1: Open the Command Prompt using search.
Step 2: At the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following command and then hit the Enter key to lock the screen immediately.
Rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Method 5 of 5
Automatically lock your Windows 10/11 PC when you step away from your PC
Dynamic Lock is a brilliant feature, introduced with Windows 10 and available in Windows 11, which allows you to automatically lock the PC when you move away from it.
For this to work, pair your smartphone to Windows 11/10 PC and turn on the Dynamic Lock feature in the Settings app.
Step 1: On Windows 11 or 10, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign in options page.
Step 2: Click on Dynamic lock and then turn on the Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you are away option.
If you are getting a “Dynamic lock is not working because your PC has no paired device” message, please refer to our how to set up the Dynamic Lock in Windows 10/11 guide for step-by-step directions to pair your smartphone with your Windows 10/11 PC.
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