SillyDog701

[Fulvio]

I left my computer, with WinXP, SP3, on and unattended for over two hours, three times in the past two weeks, and when I came back the screen saver which kicks in after 100 min was running. Normally, if I move the mouse, the desktop shows up, but not these times. It does not seem dangerous, but it has never happened before, to see a blue screen, divided in two parts. The right with my login name, and it was saying, one open program (when I click on that, y desktop shows up). The left side gave me the option to change the login to another name, and, finally, on the bottom left, the option to shutdown. A friend told me that it is not a normal situation.
I know that some people leave the computer on all day. So, someone may know if what I see is normal.
This situation has not occurred in the past, but I have not seen the screen saver kick in, all that much.
what do you think?

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[Don_HH2K]

It sounds like the screen saver has been configured to ask for a password when you wake the computer back up. I believe there's a checkbox in Display Properties -> Screen Saver that let's you choose whether or not to prompt for a password when the screen saver deactivates.

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[James]

Don's answer was my first thought as well, Fulvio. I also leave my computer on... 24/7 and I've never received this sort of desktop. What happens is that my screensaver will kick in after twenty minutes and run for fifteen after which the computer powers down to a black screen (it's the same when I put the computer into Sleep mode). When I move the mouse in either case above, the screen returns to a normal (awake) desktop).

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[Fulvio]

Since I never experienced anything like this before, I had a bit of problems figuring out how to get there. At least in XP, go to Start|Control Panel|Appearance and Themes|Display|Display Properties Screensaver tab. I don't know of a direct way to Display Properties. Clicking on Wallpaper, I noticed a check mark next to: "on resume display Welcome screen" which I assume that it is what Don was talking about. It say nothing about prompting for a password, which has never been necessary before. And, yes, indeed what James says is the way I used to be able to do things. Who knows if something changed after I had to remove stuff, when I got a pesky virus. Now, we will see.

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[Amrad]

Fulvio, right click on the desktop, select: Properties | Screen Saver | Power | Advanced | Prompt for password when computer resumes from standby.

Regards,

Dave.

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[Fulvio]

Amrad,
please, read my edited post. I had never needed a password before. From what you say, I would have to enter a password, never needed before. I will post if my above interpretation is not correct.

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[Amrad]

Hello Fulvio,

Amrad,
please, read my edited post. I had never needed a password before.

Yes, I understand that.

From what you say, I would have to enter a password, never needed before.

That would only be the case if you chose to have that option.

I will post if my above interpretation is not correct.

My main reason for the post was because you mentioned wallpaper, although in your OP you only mention the screensaver, and because you said "I don't know of a direct way to Display Properties."

Regards,

Dave.

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[Fulvio]

My bad, since I was contradicting myself by saying

Clicking on Wallpaper

, when just before, I had gone on the Screensaver Tab. I realized the mistake, but, because of the 701 minutes rule, I could not edit my post.
And, the approach from the desktop, of right clicking, etc. gets me to the same place, as my approach from the Control Panel. Since the Password was not an issue, I did not understand what was being suggested. And, just to make this even more interesting, since I wanted to make sure that I had the correct wording, I tried to copy the "on resume, display Welcome Screen", well outside the check box, and this action alone was enough to place the check mark. In fact, left clicking on any of those words, places a check mark. A very bad "feature", if you want my opinion.

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[iJohnE]

My bad, since I was contradicting myself by saying

Clicking on Wallpaper

, when just before, I had gone on the Screensaver Tab. I realized the mistake, but, because of the 701 minutes rule, I could not edit my post.
And, the approach from the desktop, of right clicking, etc. gets me to the same place, as my approach from the Control Panel. Since the Password was not an issue, I did not understand what was being suggested. And, just to make this even more interesting, since I wanted to make sure that I had the correct wording, I tried to copy the "on resume, display Welcome Screen", well outside the check box, and this action alone was enough to place the check mark. In fact, left clicking on any of those words, places a check mark. A very bad "feature", if you want my opinion.

I would have to agree with you on this being a very bad feature. And I am sorry to say that it hasn't been fixed in the new versions of Windows.

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[Fulvio]

Anyway, with the box unchecked, my computer has been going unattended for almost three hours, yesterday. So, somehow, I must have gotten somewhere near that box, and checked it.

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[PaulD]

Another setting location (XP SP3) is:
Control Panel > Power Options > (tab)Advanced - button "Prompt for password when computer resumes from standby"

It would be nice if there were a matrix of all these password-related settings and how they [inter]act.

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