The Windows 10 lock screen divides many users. Some don't mind seeing a nice picture along with a news blurb, some notifications, and the time of day. Others find it to be a waste. Why click or drag just to get to the actual sign-in screen?
Disabling the lock screen is entirely possible as long as you're running the Creators Update or anything newer, including the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. The steps required are a bit different for Home and Pro versions, but we'll explore them both here.
How to disable the lock screen in the Home edition of Windows 10
If you have Windows 10 Home edition, to disable the lock screen you need to make some changes in your registry.
Note: As always when editing your registry, there is a chance that your OS can fail if the exact steps are not followed. Before beginning, make sure you create a full backup of your PC.
- Right-click the Start button.
Click Search.
- Type regedit and hit Enter on your keyboard.
Double-click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
- Double-click SOFTWARE.
Double-click Policies.
- Double-click Microsoft.
Right-click Windows.
- Click New.
Click Key.
- Type Personalization and hit Enter on your keyboard.
Right-click the Personalization key you just created.
- Click New.
Click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Type NoLockScreen and hit Enter on your keyboard.
Double-click the NoLockScreen DWORD you just created.
- Type 1 in the Value data field.
Click OK.
To re-enable the lock screen, change the DWORD value back to 0.
How to disable the lock screen in the Pro edition of Windows 10
If you're running a Pro edition (including Enterprise and Education) of Windows 10, you can use the Group Policy editor to remove the lock screen.
- Right-click the Start button.
Click Search.
- Type gpedit and hit Enter on your keyboard.
Double-click Administrative Templates.
- Double-click Control Panel.
Click Personalization.
- Double-click Do not display the lock screen.
Click Enabled.
- Click Apply.
Click OK.
More resources
- Windows 10 April 2018 Update review: It's about the little things
- Windows 10 April 2018 Update common problems and fixes
- Windows 10 April 2018 Update ultimate resource guide
Updated June 7, 2018: I've refreshed this guide to ensure it still works after the Windows 10 April 2018 Update.
Xbox Live Gold just became the worst deal in gaming
Over the past year, Microsoft phased out the 12-month $60 Xbox Live Gold option, cutting the amount of time you get for $60 in half. What is Microsoft up to here?
Everything we know about Resident Evil Village (so far)
Capcom's next survival-horror title is Resident Evil Village. This eerie game takes players to a snowy European village where Ethan must deal with witches, werewolves and more. Here's everything we know.
Review: HP Spectre x360 14 brings the best of Spectre all into one laptop
If you take the best of HP's premium Spectre line of Ultrabooks and put it all into one laptop, you get the new Spectre x360 14. With incredible audio, an OLED display option, a pen in the box, and all the latest Intel 11th Gen features, the Spectre x360 14 is our top 2-in-1 for a good reason. Read our full review to find out why.
These are the best PC sticks for when you're on the move
Instant computer, just add a screen! That’s the general idea of the ultra-portable PC Compute Sticks, but it can be hard to know which one you want. Relax, we’ve got you covered.