How to disable lock icon

Question

How to disable lock icon so I can turn off computer.

Moved from <Microsoft System Center | System Center Operations Manager >

Answer 1

Hi karen gross,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

From your description, it seems like a lock icon is getting in the way of shutting down your PC. To better help you, I want to reconfirm whether you only have a lock option (without Shutdown), or there is a specific lock on your screen?

In case it’s the former, did the other options suddenly disappear, or it’s been like that from the start? If this happen recently, I do have some suggestions:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del on your keyboard
   1. Click Power icon (bottom-right corner) > choose Shut down
   2. Or on the menu, click Sign out > log back in (or use power icon)
2. On your Desktop, press Alt + F4 > select Shut down from the list
3. Press Win + X > click Shut down or sign out > select Sign out (same as #1b)
4. Check Registry Editor:
   • Press Win + R > type regedit > press Enter > Make sure Address Bar is available
   • Paste this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
   • Press Enter to open the folder > Delete the four blue entries (if any) as shown below
   • Close Registry Editor > lock your PC > log back in and check for the Shut down option.

Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, first check out How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support 

Please let me know if your situation is different and provide clearer description of the issue if possible. If nothing works, you might need to force a shutdown: press the power button once to initiate it, or hold it down until your PC turns off.

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Answer 2

To disable the lock icon on your computer, you can use the Group Policy setting called DisableLockComputer. This setting prevents users from locking the system using the Ctrl+Alt+Del keyboard shortcut. Here’s how you can configure it:

1. Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
2. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Ctrl+Alt+Del Options.
3. Find the policy named Remove Lock Computer and set it to Enabled.

By enabling this policy, users will not be able to lock the computer, which may help you in turning off the computer without encountering the lock icon.

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References:

• Policy CSP - ADMX_CtrlAltDel