Among the many tweaks and tips TechRepublic has shown you over the years for Windows 10 was a specific edit of the Windows Registry file that disabled the lock screen. This tweak blocked the preliminary screen that Windows 10, and now Windows 11, display before they display the login screen where you enter your authentication credentials.
By disabling the lock screen, users could save a step during login and theoretically save some time over the course of a day and perhaps even some of the annoyance that comes with it. The procedure for disabling the lock screen in Microsoft Windows 11 is essentially the same as it was for Windows 10, but we will revisit the process here to prevent any confusion or mistakes.
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How to disable the lock screen in Windows 11
Many of the tweaks to the Windows Registry file made under Windows 10 remained after the update to Windows 11, however, many others were returned to their default settings. That is why we must revisit the process required to disable the lock screen in Windows 11.
Disclaimer: Editing the Windows Registry file is a serious undertaking. A corrupted Windows Registry file could render your computer inoperable, requiring a reinstallation of the Windows operating system and potential loss of data. Back up the Windows Registry file and create a valid restore point before you proceed.
To make our edits in the Windows 11 Registry File, we will type “regedit” into the Windows 11 search tool. From the results, choose the Regedit app and then use the left-hand window to navigate to this key (Figure A).
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
Figure A
Look for a subkey in the left-hand navigation window under the “Windows” key that is labeled “Personalization.” If it is not there (it probably won’t be), we will have to create it. Right-click the Windows key and select New | Key and give it the name Personalization (Figure B).
Figure B
Right-click the new Personalization key you just created and then select New | DWORD (32-bit) Value. Enter “NoLockScreen” as the name of your new key (Figure C).
Figure C
Double-click the NoLockScreen entry you just created and change the Data value to 1 (Figure D). Click OK to finish the change.
Figure D
Click Exit to close the registry editor.
To test the success of your editing, manually lock your Windows 11 PC by pressing the keyboard combination Windows + L. Instead of the lock screen you would typically see, you should now see the login screen, waiting patiently for you to enter your access credentials.
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If you ever want to add the Windows 11 lock screen back to your settings, just edit the Windows Registry file again and change the value of the NoLockScreen key to 0.
