What causes the Password screen to trigger when watching a video (online or DVD)?

I guess I spoke too soon. The problem has returned.

Watched some videos online tonight, and left the room. Upon return, it was at the password screen again. Logged in, checked the Screensaver panel (it showed "(none)", which is what I had set; the box for 'on resume, display logon screen' was unchecked, and ghosted like the 'Wait 1-minute' setting to its left).

I did, however, find this very interesting Microsoft programmer thread about the issue:

http://www.ureader.com/msg/14743674.aspx

:-) So I'm not alone in this one. I don't run the videos full-screen (like mentioned in on that page, in their discussion), I view them in my browser (unless watching a DVD, then I think it's Media Center that's playing one).

I downloaded Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, and am going to run it (just to see), but my newly reinstalled system is clean by all accounts. No integrity problems shown after 'sfc /scannow', either. I think maybe a video online triggered (set, or reset) something to do with the time-out or screensaver|password. So far, the only solution is to re-apply the "(none)" setting. Just have to do that after every single session of video-watching--though that doesn't really cure it from happening while watching a full-length movie (it annoyingly interrupts the movie).

Scratch that. It just came back, after longer than a minute. :-/

Hey, I'm going to mark this one as answered. It quit doing it. Your advice led me to try what I did in the above.

I went back to YouTube, found a few videos what were over one minute, and watched the time tick away on the video counter while also watching the Screensaver panel. At about one minute, the Screensaver panel (where you set the minutes and resume, etc.) SLIGHTLY jumped, as if the OS came to check the settings. Nothing happened, it didn't go to password screen. So maybe it really was something that gets stuck somewhere in the registry (?) and was fixed by re-applying everything including checking-and-unchecking the resume box.

Heh. Can't say it's not annoying, but I guess the OS needed to be told again. I had, up until now, only re-applied the "(none)", in an effort to make that stick. Never tried the resume box, because it was always empty (with that setting).

Thanks again, Michael. :-)

Thank you for your reply, Michael. I appreciate it very much.

As for the suggestion, I'm afraid that's not it. When I open up the Screen Saver panel, the box beside "On resume..." is empty; unchecked (only because I have it set to "(none)"). That box gets filled in with a check, automatically, only if I select a screensaver from the dropdown menu.

My practice is to leave it set to "(none)" (with the unchecked resume; and the ghosted 1-minute, which I assume doesn't apply to the "(none)" setting and only applies to whatever screensaver I select). Only when I leave the computer do I manually set a screensaver (and the 1-minute is already there for that, as is a check that appears in the box only at that time). That way, when I return and move the mouse, the password screen is intentionally there, instead of my acessible desktop.

But, in trying to figure this thing out, I've even gone into Power Settings to make sure the monitor or computer "Never" sleeps.

(I almost didn't post this question|problem, because in the long-run there are others with worse problems, and this is just one of those 'Now why is it doing that?' kind of things. It's baffling, but doesn't seem to be harming anything (that I know of)). :-)

As near as I can figure, it's still some kind of 'time-out' (timing) problem, somewhere; but it doesn't make sense a video would trigger it.

I did, however, choose a screensaver, and apply it both with and without the check in the box, just in case it may unstick something (or put a setting in the registry that might be sitting empty or something). But I always go back to "(none)" and apply that (and that doesn't have a check in the box).

See if this applies:

http://help.isu.edu/index.php?action=faq&catid=79&docid=396

Windows returns to the login screen from the screen saver. How can I change this?

Windows Vista

1. Right-click on any empty space on the desktop and select Personalize.
2. Click on Screen Saver.
3. Uncheck the On resume, display logon screen checkbox.
4. Click OK.

Read the above info.

Cheers.

Mick Murphy - Microsoft Partner