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
    2021-09-16T17:32:38+00:00

    I originally thought it was something I was doing causing it too, but it didn't matter if I was playing games or just watching videos or even if it was just idle, it still locked itself. I went through sooo much to try and figure it out and unfortunately nothing has so far. I am still trying to test if resetting the laptop works, but there is absolutely no guarantee that that will work either.

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-09-16T17:30:48+00:00

    Please definitely keep us updated if you can. I know many of us have been waiting for years to try and figure this all out. I really hope it works out for you, as I certainly know having your laptop shut off out of literally no where is annoying as all get out. Thank you for responding and good luck.

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-09-16T17:23:24+00:00

    #Linda, thank you for your Reply. I ran the exact same troubleshooting and saw the same battery issue warning and it continues to lock up. I have not been able to see a pattern of happening during certain times of the day or if I am during a specific task.

    I do presentations and now do not trust it will not lock up during a presentation!

    REALLY FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. Anonymous
    2021-09-16T17:11:03+00:00

    So, Its not just a dell and windows problem. There are a lot of people who also have different Laptops from different companies that are having the exact same issue. The possibilities between the laptops are limited to a Microsoft issue or a BIOS issue. I have been testing and working hard to attempt to find a solution, as my HP OMEN was having this same problem. I completely refreshed the system and have not had time to test it much further to see if the issue persists after resetting everything.

    Yesterday, I updated the Bios and made sure all Microsoft updates were current. It actually stayed on the rest of the day, but this morning that voice says battery low and shutdown. I also changed setting to never shutdown and do nothing! I will refresh next if it persists.

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