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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:

WinXP: Screen Saver Properties

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":

WinXP: Control Panel: 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.



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

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









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