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
    2020-05-02T04:30:52+00:00

    My computer at random says locking and screen goes black. Power lights say it's still on.T just a few seconds. Doesn't respond to mouse ir keyboard. Only thing that works is to hard reboot by holding down power button until it shuts off and then rebooting.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-05-02T13:33:56+00:00

    Hi,

    Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

    To get clarity on the issue, it would be great if you can help us with the details requested below:

    • When you say, “Ill try to run something and a blue screen will pop saying "locking” do you see any error message/code on the screen?
    • What is the model number of your Dell computer?
    • Are you aware of any changes made to the computer recently?
    • Which build version of Windows 10 are you using currently? To check type: winver in the search bar on the Taskbar and hit Enter.

    Please reply with the detailed information on the issue to help you further.

    Regards,

    Nikhar Khare

    Microsoft Community - Moderator

    It is happening very fast, but sometimes it says battery low, and the battery is fully charged. Recently I changed the battery.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-05-03T00:15:07+00:00

    SOLVED!!!!!!  I have had the same quick "lock..." problem in 15 second at all time, no way I can access anything from it. 

    Let Battery (internal one drains to its' low level for 2, 3 days:  I unplugged my PC from power cord (which I used to leave Plug-in at all times for weeks or days even not in use, because my internal battery was no longer working for the past 3 yrs).  Simply like that! Now I do only plug in every time I use my PC, and un-plug when I am done (My battery is not useful)

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-05-03T18:14:08+00:00

    I am having the same issue Random message "LOCKING" with blue/purple screen then shutting down completely. The one difference I have with everyone else is that I have a PC tower that only runs on ac power. Its an HP Elite Desk 800 running Win 10. 

    I have not found a resolution yet.

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