Computer keeps locking automatically

Anonymous
2019-11-17T16:41:28+00:00

My computer keeps locking up. Ill try to run something and a blue screen will pop saying "locking..." And it will completely shut down. How do i fix this?

***Modified title from: my computer (dell, windows 10) keeps locking up, how do I fix it?***

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2019-12-05T19:26:00+00:00

Solved!!!!!

I have confirmed my critical battery level action suspicion I described before.  To test it I set my critical battery level higher and unplugged my PC to run it down to that level.  As soon as it reached that point, the blue "Locking" screen popped up and it went into hibernation just like it's set to do.  There was also another very quick notification screen/message but I'm not certain what it said.  I think it might have said something about critical battery level but, again, I'm not certain.  I am 100% certain that I saw the mysterious "Locking" message on a blue screen exactly as I'd been seeing it before all those times. 

So anyone else who is having this same problem, you most likely have a really old battery that drains super fast when you're working your PC hard and using a lot of energy.  Or your battery may be malfunctioning but leading to the same issue.  It's draining so quickly there's no time for the other power level notifications and it's going straight to the critical battery level action. 

There is another thread somewhere else where the Windows "expert" states that he is not aware of any screen or message that says "Locking" in Windows 10, which we now know is incorrect, and that is probably causing a lot of confusion for those of us that are experiencing this rare issue.  I even noticed that the font for this "Locking" message was the same Windows font we're so familiar with.  And since I read somewhere else someone was having this same issue on a Dell laptop, we can be certain that it is indeed a function of Windows 10. 

Now that I've confirmed it myself, I can stop worrying about malware or a virus causing it.  That would be a very weird thing to be causing anyway since there's no other issues related and I can always restart, or bring out of hibernation, my laptop no problem.

Well, I hope anyone else that's having this same, strange issue reads this and finally finds some clarity.  If you do happen to read this all and changing the battery does solve the problem, please post a response here if you don't mind.  Even though I'm 100% now that I've found the answer, I'd still like to get outside confirmation and also know if my efforts have helped anyone else.  This is such a rare, weird issue that even the Windows experts have been stumped.  It would be great for my ego to know I did, indeed, solve this mystery.

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-08-29T20:26:04+00:00

    Hi SaraOnieo, Primarily it is a windows issue. This started a few months back when I have updated to windows 10. However, for me running the laptop directly on power without the battery (like a desktop) worked. Further, I ordered a new battery and afyer replacing the battery, I haven't had this issue at all. I also tried rolling windows 10 to 1903 (not sure of the version) which worked temporarily.

    U can try running the laptop without battery or try rolling back to the previous update where you didn't have the issue. PS- I'm not a expect. Tried all these after some research.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-08-29T19:20:21+00:00

    Yes agree. I got a new battery and haven't had this issue at all. If someone don't want to buy a new battery, try running the laptop without the battery. I have tried this and it worked.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-08-29T18:47:27+00:00

    Sorry about your problem.  I agree on the Windows 10 issue, as I never had a problem until I upgraded to Windows 10.  While getting a new battery did stop the blue locking screen,I still have issues with my computer shutting down with no warning if the power cord, (which is loose fitting) accidentally gets disconnected.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-08-29T18:34:33+00:00

    Hi there o/ I bought an HP Omen 15 ceo15dx off of Ebay and started having this problem as soon as I got it up and running. In the months that this has been going On I have been making mental notes about when this happens. It sometimes happens when I am running a game that takes a lot of power. I notice the FPS drops dramatically before it goes fully into locking and then shuts down. Sometimes it just hibernates itself and other times it shuts down, depending on what it was doing before hand. 

    I notice people mention its a battery issue, so a month or two ago I bought a brand new battery to replace the old one. When me and my computer knowledgeable dad opened it up, the battery was swelled a bit and looked like it needed replacing so I presumed that was the issue, replaced the battery and went on. However, that did not fix the issue. I continued to have the problem even after a fresh battery. 

    I also noticed some people mentioned that it might be a thermal critical action, so again with my computer knowledgeable dad, we replaced the thermal paste and cleaned out the laptop to make sure it wasn't dusty and all. I thought that doing both of those things would solve the issue.

    However...It did not. Just today I was running Sea of Thieves. Kinda Low graphical settings, as I was suffering major FPS drops and sure enough the Laptop shut its self into locking. I had only been running the game for maybe 15 Minutes. I keep my laptop plugged in at all times. I have an i7 7th gen, Nvidia GE Force GTX 1050ti with 8gb of ram currently (as I have another 8 on the way to up its ram). I have fan under the laptop to help push air through it, and keep the fans at the back open so it doesn't overheat. I have talked to my dad about the issues and he has absolutely no idea what could be causing it and presumes its Windows 10's fault. I do believe without a shadow of a doubt that this is completely a windows 10 problem and not hardware related. I have no idea what else I can change that would fix this issue and its really hard to play the games I love with my friends when out of nowhere I just lock out in the middle of a big fight. If anyone has any more ideas, please please help.

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