How to Easily Disable the Lock Screen in Windows 10: A Comprehensive Guide

Go straight to the password prompt with no lock screen

Kari Shea / Unsplash

What to Know

This article explains how to disable the lock screen in Windows 10 so that you're one step closer to signing in.

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Edit the Registry to Disable the Lock Screen

You can turn off the Windows 10 lock screen by editing the registry. Several steps are involved, but if you follow them closely, you'll be able to disable the lock screen in just a few minutes.

Expert Tip: Warning

Changing the Windows registry as explained below will not harm your computer. But we still recommend that you back up the registry before you start, in case something gets deleted or renamed by accident.

Open Registry Editor by entering regedit into the search box and selecting it from the results.

Search results for 'regedit' on Windows 10

Copy and paste this path into the navigation bar at the top of Registry Editor, and then press Enter to jump there:

Right-click Windows from the left pane and then choose New > Key.

Creating a new registry key in Windows 10

Name it Personalization.

Right-click that new key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Creating a new DWORD value in Registry Editor for Windows 10

Name the key NoLockScreen, and then double-click it and change its value to 1.

NoLockScreen registry value in Windows 10

Select OK to save. You can now exit Registry Editor.

Expert Tip: Tip

Wondering if it worked? Press Win+L to lock your PC. If you're taken straight to the login screen rather than the screen that typically proceeds it, congratulations, you've successfully disabled the Windows 10 lock screen!

Turn Off the Lock Screen With a Local Group Policy

Tweaking the registry isn't the only way to disable the lock screen. If you're on Windows 10 Pro, you've got a second method that's far easier (and less scary!). Follow these steps to use Local Group Policy Editor to turn off the lock screen:

Expert Tip: Tip

This also works for both Enterprise and Education versions of Windows 10.

Press Win+R and enter this into the box to launch Local Group Policy Editor:

gpedit.msc command typed into the Run box in Windows 10

Expand the Computer Configuration group on the left and then double-click Administrative Templates.

Continue by opening Control Panel > Personalization.

Personalization folder selected in Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 10

Double-click Do not display the lock screen on the right.

Choose Enabled, and then select OK.

Local Group Policy Editor open to lock screen management in Windows 10

Expert Tip: Tip

To re-enable the lock screen in Windows 10, repeat these directions, but choose Disabled at the last step. If you edited the registry to make the change, you can delete the value you added.

Related: How to Set Up Auto Login in Windows