locked desktop screen

It should not be possible for the Desktop to be on top of apps you open, most likely, this is a bug that is causing the apps you open to appear on the taskbar, but the app windows are not opening on your screen.

Restart (not shut down) your PC to check if that resolves the problem.

If not:

Start your PC, just as Windows attempts to load (spinning dots), press and hold Power Button for 5 - 10 seconds to perform a Hard Shut Down

Do this twice

On the third start Windows will boot into the Recovery Environment and from there you can access System Repair, Safe Mode, Command Prompt... etc.

Please try each option one at a time, then see if Windows will boot to a table system.

1

Go to Troubleshoot - Advanced Option - Startup Repair

See if Windows startup can repair itself

2

Go to Troubleshoot - Advanced Option - System Restore

Check to see if you have a restore point you can go back to

The desktop itself cannot be “locked” in front of everything, but a full‑screen app or a blank/black screen can make it look that way. Try these steps in order to get back to normal view:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del once.
   • If a blue security screen appears, choose Task Manager.
   • In Task Manager, select Windows Explorer in the Processes tab and choose Restart. This refreshes the desktop and taskbar.
2. If the screen is blank or only shows a cursor, try resetting the display:
   • Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. The screen should flicker and the graphics driver will reset.
3. Check if Windows is set to an unexpected display mode (for example, projecting to a non‑existent second screen):
   • Press Windows + P.
   • Press P once more, then press Enter to cycle display modes (PC screen only, Duplicate, Extend, Second screen only). Repeat this sequence a few times to see if the desktop returns to normal.
4. If nothing responds, force a restart:
   • Hold the power button down for about 20 seconds until the laptop turns off, then turn it back on.

If the issue is that a browser or app is covering the entire screen and hiding everything else, press F11 (to exit full‑screen mode) or Alt + F4 (to close the current app) and see if the desktop and taskbar reappear.

References:

• Troubleshooting blank screens in Windows