A screen saver that only locks the computer, without doing anything with the display?

[Juan I. Cahis]

Dear friends:

Is there a screen saver that only locks the computer,without doing
anything with the display?

I have found many beautiful and sophisticated screen savers that,
apart to lock the computer after a specific period of time, they show
pictures nice images on the screen. The problem is that some of them
take a lot of resources, specially memory, and others, from time to
time, lock (or crash) the desktop when one wants to use the computer
again.

So, I want to return to the most simple solution. For security
reasons, I must use a locking screen saver, but is there one that only
locks the computer, without doing anything with the display? And if it
exists, where can I download it?


Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

 

[Wesley Vogel]

A screen saver that only locks the computer, without doing anything with

the display

Would be something other than a screen saver.

Windows key + L
Locks your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switches
users if you are not connected to a network domain.

See the following article that lists the different computer lock-up
scenarios that are available to you, as well as other ways to lock the
computer.

See the following article for different combinations of what happens with:
Fast User Switching Enabled
Fast User Switching Disabled
Welcome Screen Enabled
Welcome Screen Disabled

How to Quickly Lock Your Computer and Use Other Windows Logo Shortcut Keys
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/294317

To turn the Welcome screen on or off
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/.../proddocs/en-us/ua_logon_at_welcome_page.mspx

You can create a shortcut for Lock Computer.

Right click the Desktop | Point to New | Click Shortcut |
Paste this in the box:

%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

Click Next | Change the name if you like to Lock Computer | Click Finish

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Juan I. Cahis]

Dear Wesley, thanks for your help.

If I understand you well, your idea is to disable any screen saver and
to add a Scheduled Task that starts 15 minutes after the computer
becomes idle, and that it runs the computer lock workstation procedure
that you suggest below?

Would be something other than a screen saver.

Windows key + L
Locks your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switches
users if you are not connected to a network domain.

See the following article that lists the different computer lock-up
scenarios that are available to you, as well as other ways to lock the
computer.

See the following article for different combinations of what happens with:
Fast User Switching Enabled
Fast User Switching Disabled
Welcome Screen Enabled
Welcome Screen Disabled

How to Quickly Lock Your Computer and Use Other Windows Logo Shortcut Keys
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/294317

To turn the Welcome screen on or off
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/.../proddocs/en-us/ua_logon_at_welcome_page.mspx

You can create a shortcut for Lock Computer.

Right click the Desktop | Point to New | Click Shortcut |
Paste this in the box:

%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

Click Next | Change the name if you like to Lock Computer | Click Finish

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Hi Juan,

If I understand you well, your idea is to disable any screen saver and
to add a Scheduled Task that starts 15 minutes after the computer
becomes idle, and that it runs the computer lock workstation procedure
that you suggest below?

I am not sure exactly what you want to do.

You could add a Scheduled Task to lock the computer.

1. Create a shortcut to %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe
user32.dll,LockWorkStation.
2. Click Start, click Run, type: tasks and click OK.
3. Double click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard starts.
4. Click Next.
5. Under Click the program you want Windows to run, click Browse.
6. In the Select Program to Schedule dialog box, locate the
shortcut that you created, click it and then click Open.
7. Under Perform this task, specify a name for the task and how frequently
you want this task to run and then click Next.
8. Under Select the time and day you want this task to start, specify a
start time and date for the task and then click Next.
9. Type the user name and password to run this task under and then click
Next.
10. Click to select the Open advanced properties for this task when I click
Finish check box and then click Finish.
11. Click the Task tab.
12. In the Run box, make sure that it reads:
%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
13. Change the Start in box to read:
%windir%
14. Click Apply.
15. Click OK.

The screen saver can be password protected.

Right click the Desktop | Properties | Screen Saver tab |
Select the On resume, password protect check box.
If Fast User Switching is turned on, Select the On resume, display Welcome
screen check box. | Click Apply | Click OK

On resume
[[Specifies whether the logon window is displayed when you resume using
the computer after the screen saver has started running. If logging on
requires a password, you will have to type the password when you resume
work.]]

Selecting the On Resume, password protect check box will lock your computer
when the screen saver is activated. When you begin working again you will be
prompted to type your password to unlock it.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Shimmo]

I have a system utility that may be what you are looking for.

What do you mean by "lock the computer"?
What do you mean by "a locking screen saver"?

How many workstations do you have that need this capability?

regards, shimmo

 

[dobey]

He seems to be saying some screensavers crash/freeze his PC, and the 3D ones
take up more resources than he would like.

If I were him, I would just use a blank screen, in fact I DO just use the
blank screen, and check the "on resume display welcome screen" option,
assuming he logs into his computer in the morning. This way no one can use
his PC when the screen saver starts.

 

[Shimmo]

Dobey,

Who knows what his needs are until he states them. You may be correct but I do not want to make any assumptions.

I will wait for his response to see if I can support his needs.

regards, shimmo

 

[dobey]

Well he does say English isn't his primary language, so I'm reading between
the lines a bit, for example he uses the word "lock", several times in
different senses.

To lock his computer, (password the desktop while away), and his computer
locks, (freezes up).

Of course I could be wrong - we will have to wait and see...

 

[Juan I. Cahis]

Thanks dobey, this is exactly my problem.

Is there a "transparent screensaver"?

He seems to be saying some screensavers crash/freeze his PC, and the 3D ones
take up more resources than he would like.

If I were him, I would just use a blank screen, in fact I DO just use the
blank screen, and check the "on resume display welcome screen" option,
assuming he logs into his computer in the morning. This way no one can use
his PC when the screen saver starts.

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

 

[Bob I]

That wouldn't qualify as a "screen saver". Just pick blank screen as
suggested.

 

[dobey]

As Bob I says, a screen saver has a moving image to prevent any image from
being "burnt" into a CRT screen, so a static image wouldn't qualify as a
screen saver. Even then modern CRTs don't suffer from this.

AFAIK LCD screens don't suffer from any problem with static images.

Maybe what you are looking for exists, but the blank screen just turns off
the picture from the VGA card. If this still causes crashes or freezing, you
could have a video driver problem or something else.


Thanks dobey, this is exactly my problem.

Is there a "transparent screensaver"?

He seems to be saying some screensavers crash/freeze his PC, and the 3D
ones
take up more resources than he would like.

If I were him, I would just use a blank screen, in fact I DO just use the
blank screen, and check the "on resume display welcome screen" option,
assuming he logs into his computer in the morning. This way no one can use
his PC when the screen saver starts.

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

 

[John]

I assume something like this:


http://www.allworldsoft.com/software/1-098-transparent-screen-lock-for-winnt-2000-xp-2003.htm

Locks the comptuer without displaying the "workstation has been locked"
thing. This way the PC is locked and requires a password to unlock just as if
you did Windows+L, only difference is that it displays the desktop while in
the locked state. There are several apps like this, I just googled the word
lock computer show desktop

John