Lock screen weirdness


  1. Posts : 721
    Win10 x64 Pro - 2 desktops, 2 laptops
       #1

    Lock screen weirdness


    Yesterday, immediately after putting a computer to sleep I must have bumped the mouse (which is set to wake the PC) and the PC woke up. Not particularly unusual, and I usually just let it go back to sleep. This time I decided to sign back in, but I couldn't. I could do nothing to get Windows to switch from the Lock screen to the Sign in screen.

    This is normally such an automatic process that I'm not even sure what I usually do - click a mouse button, I think. It didn't work. This PC uses a wired optical mouse and the LED was on so I'm pretty sure the mouse was OK. (It was just before putting the PC to sleep.) I don't know if keyboard activity is supposed to get Windows to switch from the Lock screen, but I tried a few keys but nothing worked.

    My last attempt was going to be a forced power-off, but I decided to first try Remote Desktop from another computer. That worked! No problem at all. And after that the Lock screen (and/or mouse) behaved normally. There was nothing that looked unusual in the Event log around that time (but I'm never sure what "usual" looks like).

    Any idea what might have happened? And if it happens again, is there any way to get from the Lock screen to the Sign in screen without using the mouse?

    This is Win10 20H2 with up through KB4601319 applied.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 5,210
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #2

    This usually happens when the lock screen is "half awake" if you would have pressed CTRL+ALT+DEL and then canceled that screen, you would have keyboard and mouse function back again.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 721
    Win10 x64 Pro - 2 desktops, 2 laptops
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks. I would never have thought of CTRL+ALT+DEL. If this ever happens again I'll try it.

    Any idea what could have caused this "half awake" state? I doubt it was just a timing issue since I flailed away for at over 5 minutes before trying a Remote Desktop connection.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5,210
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #4

    This happens to me ever so often. I have a screen saver and moving the mouse brings me to the desktop, but sometimes, if i barely touch the mouse, it will be in this Half Awake state. It doesn't happen very often, but that has always worked for me.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 721
    Win10 x64 Pro - 2 desktops, 2 laptops
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Well, the "barely touch" matches what (I think) happened to me so I'll keep your remedy in mind. Thanks.
      My Computer


 

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