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Windows 8 lock/login screen

Did yous know that, dorsum in the Windows 3, 95, and 98 days, you could merely type in your password to log into your computer? It sounds crazy, I know, but it's true. Since Windows XP, the process has become steadily more convoluted — picking your avatar from a listing, or hit Ctrl+Alt+Del before being allowed to log in (this was actually a security feature, believe information technology or not). Windows eight is the worst offender even so, positively spitting in the confront of keyboard users — but fortunately, it's quite easy to disable the new Windows eight lock screen.

In essence, the new Windows 8 lock/login screen is meant to act as a dashboard, flashing upwards notifications for new e-mail, IMs, and and so on. On a tablet, where y'all swipe the lock screen away and and then begin typing, this makes perfect sense. On a desktop PC, though, the lock screen is clunky (you might say this is a bit of a recurring theme in Windows 8). Aye, theoretically you only have to tap a key and it slides abroad, but for some reason Microsoft introduced a delay so that you can't immediately type your password. Equally a result, you ofttimes end up losing the showtime few messages of your password, waiting for Windows to tell you lot that your password is wrong, and and then typing your password in correctly.

Windows 8 group policy editor: Disabling the lock screen

How to bypass the Windows 8 lock screen

To remove the lock screen entirely, and so that locking is just a evidently password prompt — and booting up goes straight to the same password prompt — just follow these very simple steps.

  1. Hit the First central, type gpedit.msc, and printing Enter. This will open the Local Group Policy Editor.
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Command Console > Personalization
  3. Double click "Practise not display the lock screen," and select Enabled from the dialog that pops up. Click OK.

The change is immediate. Become alee and press Win+L and admire your new, minimal lock screen.

Windows 8 lock screen begone!

In addition, if y'all're feeling really sassy, you lot can likewise tweak your figurer to kick straight to Desktop, either with Windows 8's built-in Task Scheduler, or past using a tertiary-party Start bill of fare replacement, most of which include this functionality as a configurable option. This way, the Desktop volition be the 2nd screen you see, instead of the fourth — neat.

Check out our Windows 8 tips folio for more… Windows 8 tips.