Lock Screen Problems

Hello Adam,

We would like to know more about the lock screen issue you're experiencing with your Windows 10 device. Kindly answer the following questions:

• When did the issue start?
• Are you getting any error messages?
• Is the issue present on all user accounts on your device?
• What troubleshooting steps have you tried so far?
• What is the current OS Build of your Windows 10 device? You can find this information by clicking the Start button, type About your PC, press Enter, and then scroll down to Windows specifications.

For isolation of the issue, we recommend performing a clean boot. A clean boot is performed to start Windows by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This procedure eliminates software conflicts when using your Windows 10 device. Follow the steps from this article on how to perform a clean boot.

We'll be waiting for the results.

Did you mean type winver in the search window on your taskbar and click the first option on the pop up menu?

Hi there,

The issue has been ongoing for a while, I am not sure how long exactly. 

There are not any error messages. The lock screen just does not function like it's supposed to.  The lock screen slideshow doesn't work upon starting the computer or upon manually locking the computer with WINDOWS KEY + L. It shows a single photo from the windows preset photos and the clock/date do not show on the left side of the lock screen as normal.

This is a FRESH copy of windows. I downloaded the ISO file directly from the Microsoft website. Reformatted the drive, installed windows, did all the windows updates. 

I have tried troubleshooting it by changing it from windows spotlight, which works correctly. However upon switching it BACK to SLIDESHOW, same issue. Is not showing my folder I selected for the slideshow and the clock and date are missing. 

My current OS build is Windows 10 Home, Version 1709, OS Build 16299.214. 

Another problem I have, when I click on the start button, I can't type to search for anything. Normally I can just click start and type Calc for it to bring up the calculator and it doesn't let me do that anymore. I have to click on a letter and then I can start typing. Like I said, this is a FRESH copy of windows because I thought my previous install from two years ago had an issue.

I will try the clean boot and report back but my guess is that it's not on my end because this is a brand new fresh copy of windows installed plus all recent updates. Please continue to follow up with me as this has been ongoing for the last few months. If you guys would like to contact me privately and share my screen to see the issues yourself, you are more than welcome to. 

Yes. Well.

First. Screen Saver must be turned off for Lock Screen Settings to work.

Second: Make sure you add the folders you want to use.

Third: Make sure you set your Advanced Lock Screen Settings:

And you should be good to go.

At this point I tell Cortana "Lock my PC" and she says "Locking your computer" in that sexy voice Jen Taylor has and it works.

I do tech support on the side and have for years, so I totally understand.

There is no screen saver on, I just let windows use the slideshow functionality through the lock screen.

Let me show you exactly what is happening:

Normally if you choose a folder for the slideshow, it shows you in the little preview in that little window that says PREVIEW. It's not doing that for me. Its showing one of the default windows photos under the picture setting instead of slideshow.

As you can see, slideshow IS selected. Regardless of where the photos are or what folder, it shows THAT cave photo. I can change the background from slideshow to picture, then select one of the other photos, reset it back to slideshow and the folders I want and it will just show the other windows photo I selected instead.

I will lock the computer and here is what it shows:

Just this background, no clock and no date.

Then I click my user, enter my password, relock the computer and suddenly the clock and date is there. Then it shows one of the default windows photos and THEN finally starts the slideshow as normal like below: 

There is some odd bug going on and I can't figure out what it is or why it's doing this?

On second thoughts. no it isn't.

Mine works smoothly. The clock and date are always there. And the slideshow does take a little time (maybe 5 seconds) to start.

Have you run some maintenance programs to make sure everything is ticking along as it should?

You know, SFC /Scannow and all that?

Correct, it's not. Even on the background option it shows you a preview of the folder you are using for the background slideshow but not the lock screen.

My lock screen settings are always showing one of the default windows photos regardless of the settings. 

As far as the /scannow...no. The thing is, I got a fresh copy of windows 10. I downloaded it from the MS website. I put in the dvd, boot from disc, reformatted the entire drive and partitions. Did a fresh copy of windows 2 days ago and installed all the updates just two days ago. 

The only stuff installed is a couple of programs. I also did a clean boot with only Microsoft services enabled and for some reason I am still having this problem. It will either show no clock/no date and just a default windows photo, or show a default photo then start the slideshow as normal but its random. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. No idea what is causing the problem.

I'm sorry I couldn't have been of help to you in this.

Hopefully someone in our little Community will have an answer.

Apologies for the delayed response.

For further isolation of the issue, can you tell us if the issue is isolated to a single folder? According to the screenshot you provided, the Slideshow is directed to a folder named, disneyland. Have you tried if the same issue occurs if you select a different folder? Also, have you tried optimizing the folder as Pictures?

Follow these steps on how to optimize folders on different file types:

1. Right-click the folder.
2. Select Properties.
3. Go to Customize tab.
4. Under Optimize this folder for, select Pictures.
5. Make sure that the check box for Also apply this template to all subfolders is selected.
6. Click Apply and then OK.

We're looking forward to your response.

Hi Devlin,

It seems if I walk away from my computer, usually the lock screen slideshow will automatically kick in. Most of the time it functions are normal but sometimes it just does not.

Meaning it gets stuck on one of the windows photos in the lock screen that's under the "picture" option in the lock screen settings.

Also the preview window for background shows a preview of the folder I am using as you can see below:

However when I am on the lock screen option, it shows a preview of one of the photos from the picture option in the dropdown even though slideshow IS selected. It used to show a preview of one of the images in whatever folder I am using for the slideshow like below:

Also upon locking the computer manually pressing the windows key plus the L button, it gets stuck on this specific blue photo from the "picture" option in the dropdown and the CLOCK AND DATE are gone from the screen. It just shows this photo and nothing else. It does the same thing if I manually select a different photo from the windows picture drop down and set it back to slideshow like below:

I chose a new photo from the "picture" dropdown

Then I rechose slideshow from the dropdown and its still showing the windows picture and NOT one of the slideshow images. When I lock the computer manually, it shows this rock photo below. 

When I walk away from my computer to let it idle and the lock screen slideshow to begin on its own, it shows the above photo (even though on slideshow) and no clock and date show. Then when I click to login, you can see one of my slideshow photos for a split second until it goes back to this photo again. If I restart my computer, it fixes temporarily until it does this process again.

When it does work as normal, you see this photo for about 15-20 seconds and THEN the slideshow starts but its random. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. You guys are more than welcome to contact me and share my screen to see these issues if you like. I am at a total loss as to why its behaving like this, especially with a fresh copy of windows.  It doesn't matter what folder I use, same issue. Shows the windows photo, click it to login and I see one of my photos for a split second and its back to this windows photo again. I also tried the settings you sent me above and no change. 

I did notice one thing. When the computer idles and goes into slideshow and its stuck on that windows photo, if I press space bar or click to login and then don't log in and wait about 20 seconds, the clock and date magically appear and then the slideshow starts. Once I hit space bar or click to login, it shows the login screen but the background is the windows photo and not one from the slideshow. Don't know if this helps.

Thanks,

Adam