How do I change my Windows XP Screen Saver password?

I am a proud user of Windows XP. Not quite as cool as Linux, but hey, it's a family computer, and Windows is more widely used. Thus far I've only had one problem with it, my son put a password on the screensaver! Which doesn't bother me, because I know how to turn it off.

My question to you is, how do I CHANGE that password? Because when I open control panel and click the screensaver tab, it doesn't give me the option to change the password, only remove it! PLEASE HELP! I know in pst versions of Windows it was possible, but I don't even know if it can be changed in SP. So any help you could be to me would be greatly appreciated!

Dave's Answer:

This is a common Windows question, actually. In a nutshell, what you need to enter when you return from a 'secured' screen saver session is your account password. There's no separate password for the screen saver, which is why you can't find where to change it.

First off, let me show you how to enable (or disable) password prompting after your screen saver has been enabled, then I'll show you how to get into your account and change your account password as you desire. Ready?

Log in to your Windows XP account, then from the START menu choose Start --> Control Panels --> Display Properties and click on the "Screen Saver" tab. You'll see something like this:

Notice in the middle of the window I have checked "On resume, display Welcome screen". That's confusing wording, but it's that checkbox that controls whether Windows requires you to enter your password to resume working after the screen saver has started. If you don't want a prompt at all, simply uncheck it.

With it checked, once you do have the screen saver running and want to get back to work, you'll be taken here on a mouse movement or key press:

WinXP: Screen Saver goes to Welcome screen

Click on your account and you'll be asked for your password:

WinXP: Welcome screen prompting for password

Enter your password correctly and you'll be right back at your usual Windows view, no worries!

Okay, so that's how that works. If you do want to change your [account!] password, how do you do that? Turns out it's a little bit more complicated, but not too bad. Again, you'll want to be logged in and then go to Start --> Control Panels and find "User Accounts":

Open that up and you'll see something like this:

WinXP: Control Panel: User Accounts: Pick an Account to Modify

Pick your own account: I'll pick "Dave Taylor" here for the example.

Useful tip: Note that I have "Guest" disabled. You should too; it's just a big security hole otherwise.

With my account chosen, I get a set of simple tasks I can do, including "Change the password":

WinXP: Control Panel: User Accounts: Change Password

Chose that option - obviously! - and you'll get to type in a new password and even a helpful password hint so you don't lock yourself out after a long holiday:

WinXP: Control Panel: User Accounts: Change Account Password

That's all there is to it. Click "Change Password" and you'll now find that the password you need to enter after your screen saver has been activated has changed too.

Categorized: Windows PC Help (Article 7323, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: account passwords, security, windows xp, winxp
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Comments

It also only says "On resume, display Welcome screen" because you have the Welcome Screen activated. If your computer is configured to use the old style login prompt, the box instead says "On resume, password protect."

Posted by: Umbaglo at April 26, 2007 8:05 AM

I want on resume password protect instead of on resume, display welcome screen. I am not computer admin and so cannot do 'screen saver', 'power' 'advanced' and tick/untick that box. Is there any way of doing that without being admin or using the older version of windows.
( I have XP )

Thanks

Posted by: josh at December 16, 2007 7:11 AM

Mr. Dave,
I found some nasty pictures on my computer that had been downloaded by the newpheeeee. Now I can't find them to delete.
HELP PLEASE.
Dennis Miller

Posted by: Dennis Miller at January 31, 2008 9:06 AM

Dennis, there are a variety of cache cleaning applications available (you can go to somewhere like pcmall.com and look for 'cleaner' to see some of the commercial choices, or download.com for some shareware options) but if your nephew consciously ferreted them away in a directory then you'll need to dig around and find them. Good luck. Sounds like he lost computer privileges, somehow.

Posted by: Dave Taylor at February 3, 2008 7:47 AM

Just want to ask that if my display there doesnt have any "On resume, display Welcome screen" but only have "On resume, passwords protected"? How can make the prompt passwords thing prompt at my welcome screen but not classic prompt? cuz not when it ask me the passwords, it's using the classic one but not the welcome screen as you shown at above as i had already checked USER Account > Chance the way users log on and off > welcome screen...

Pls help >.< TQ

Posted by: Fiona at February 13, 2008 12:46 AM

i have already activate my welcome screen by tick it up... so izzit mean i have activated it already? or do u have a way to activated it? any guide?

Posted by: clouz at April 9, 2008 11:04 AM

I have a black welcome screen in Windows XP Professional SP2
how can i change this information

Posted by: Michael Melvyn at April 24, 2008 7:33 PM

I forgot my administrator account password. i used my user account .now i want open my administrator account, but how ?

Posted by: bappa at May 21, 2008 11:59 PM

hi, i currently have a prompt for me to put a password when i turn my computer on,howdo i take that off or not have to put a pass in at all
thanks

Posted by: shay at June 26, 2008 6:47 PM

I am trying to use a VPN program that requires that on resume, password protect. I don't have that option to select, but I have a password associated with my username (essentially making the screensaver password protected.) My Nortel client still won't work. Any suggestions on how to get this to show up as a separate checkbox? Is there a driver I can install to do this. Any help would be appreciated.

Posted by: Emily at September 4, 2008 3:22 PM

how do I change my email screen back to the previous screen? I don't like the new screen at all. Thank you.

Posted by: christy sanders at December 12, 2008 8:50 AM

But what if you are on a domain and the GPO is set to disable the password protection, yet the box is checked and grayed out?

We tried re-booting and re-logging onto the network.

I ran gpupdate /force and that did not help. I even went into the GPO of the local machine and made sure that the password was turned off, yet the box remains checked and grayed out.

Is there a registry hack that can be done? If so, what would the hack be?

Posted by: Bill at January 14, 2009 2:50 PM

I have a mayor problem here, whaen I am in the chahge password dialog, I can type any leter or number, not even select the space to type, is there a option to disable this?

Posted by: ruben at February 4, 2009 7:30 AM

hi i recently understand that my computer is very slow so i change the window xp and install the new xp on my pc but i don't have access to Internet now !!! i dont know what happen?
i have to conect to internet to get my driver what i have to do?

thanks sasan

Posted by: sasan at February 11, 2009 5:40 PM

i have an old dell computer from my old company. I am trying to log on with windows xp professional that is already loaded onto it but cant make it through the password screen. and therre is no way to get to the desk top to change passwords....can you help me

Posted by: David Heindl at March 21, 2009 8:11 AM

Iwant to define a password for the screensaver without making a password for the log in page

Posted by: M.M at May 4, 2009 12:35 PM

Long time ago , I was confronted with the password problem.
Finally , my friend Jane introduce the Windows password Reset.
It help me access windows. It's worth a try!
http://www.resetwindowspassword.com

Posted by: Alice at May 5, 2009 7:30 PM

I have downloaded windows password key 8.0. It is a very quick and useful utility for resetting passwords. It not only supports XP, 2000, and NT, I have personally tested it with Vista Home Premium and Ultimate. It works perfectly to reset any local user account to a blank password.
Just an easy to use bootable CD/DVD . It can also be used on a USB Flash Drive. http://www.lostwindowspassword.com/

Posted by: kevin at November 18, 2009 6:19 AM

Dave,

I noticed that your administrator account is not password protected. I would assume that this is more dangerous than the guest account as far as viruses are concerned.

Posted by: James IT Guy at February 16, 2010 10:37 AM

I think the best method to recover windows password is using windows password recovery software. Burn the .iso file to a blank CD or a USB flash drive or a floppy disk, insert the CD(USB/floppy disk) into the problem computer and your password will be reset to "Blank" without losing any data and you needn't reinstall windows OS.
more info: http://www.windowsloginrecovery.com

Posted by: Zach at March 11, 2010 12:02 AM

I have recently bought a second-hand computer from a store. But when it starts up, it requires me to type the administrator password, and it makes me quite disappointed!
Eventually I have managed to reset the administrator password using a password reset boot CD from http://www.top-password.com/reset-windows-password.html

Posted by: tomlambert74 at July 22, 2010 1:04 AM

Hey, I just have a question about how do I change a password box or what ever you like to call it when you boot up you PC. I have a Windows Vista and I dont like the Vista password box, So I would like to changing in something else like have there a computer picture with a lock or something, if you know what I mean. So if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

Posted by: Paul at September 10, 2010 11:12 PM

Last month, i lost my windows vista administrator password. I solved my problem with the help of the Winlogon Password Reset. It not only supports Windows Vista, I have personally tested it with Windows 7. It worked perfectly to reset any local user account to a blank password. Just an easy to use bootable CD/DVD. You can download it from: http://www.windows-logon-password.com/

Posted by: Debbie at November 18, 2010 9:52 PM

Thank you

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I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!