How do I keep Windows 8 from logging me out all the time?

The reason Windows 8 is logging you out - a problem mostly centered around the Surface tablets - is either because you have a secure Exchange email account on your system, and/or have a homegroup set up.

It's ludicrous for three reasons:

1.  The timeout seems to an arbitrary ten minutes.  Why ten minutes?

2.  My Windows 8 phone and Windows 8 PC don't log out under the same circumstances.

3.  There is no override.  There used to be a checkbox in the netplwiz menu, but it was removed during a recent update.

Hi,

Just to help others stuck like me, here is how I got this to work.

I am running Windows 8.1 Pro and do not have a "Reset Security Policies" link anywhere where it's described above.

Likewise, I ran the steps in http://www.petenetlive.com/KB/Article/0000684.htm but they did not match what my Windows 8 box had for it's control panel flow.

Here's what I had to do:

• Go into "Settings" in the magical right-hand side vertical menu.
  • Select "Change PC Settings" link at the bottom of that screen
• On "PC Settings" screen, select "Accounts"
• On "Accounts" screen, select "Sign-in options"
• Under the "Password Policy" grouping on the right-side, select <Change> to disable having to enter a password to wake up the machine

How do I go about this change please?

How do I go about this change please?