I cannot disable screen time restrictions and am not part of a family group through the app

ruby hansen 0 Reputation points
2026-08-26T04:42:51.5033333+00:00

I cannot access my laptop between 9pm and 8am, how can I disable this feature. I am the organiser of a family group, no other members. I am an adult.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Microsoft Family Safety | Other | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-26T04:43:03.4566667+00:00

    If the account is an Organizer and the device is still enforcing screen time restrictions, run a safety reset on the laptop:

    1. Press Windows + R.
    2. Type cmd and select OK.
    3. Run:
    schtasks /run /tn "Microsoft\Windows\Shell\FamilySafetyRefreshTask"
    1. Restart the computer.

    This reset must be done on each impacted device.

    If the restriction is being applied through Family Safety settings, organizers still have full control over child-account settings, and organizers are the administrators of the family group. Since there are no other members in the family group, the reset step above is the documented way to remove Family Safety settings still being enforced on an organizer device.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Hendrix-V 18,520 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-27T02:18:22.8866667+00:00

    Hi ruby hansen,

    Since the screen time restriction appears to be tied to the Microsoft account profile, a useful way to determine whether the issue is account-specific is to create a new local Windows account and test access there.

    Please try the following checks:

    1. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users.
    2. Select Add account.
    3. Choose I don't have this person's sign-in information > Add a user without a Microsoft account.
    4. Create a new local administrator account.
    5. Sign in to the new account and check whether the time restriction is still present.

    If the restriction does not occur in the local account, this would indicate that the issue is likely related to settings associated with the original Microsoft account rather than Windows itself.

    Let us know the outcome, as that will help determine the most appropriate next steps. We’ll be happy to continue assisting you.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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