Windows 10: control+alt+delete not working on lock screen

I recently ran autoruns and disabled some things from running at startup such as cloud storage, Bluetooth, Plex. I used filters and hid all Microsoft items.

Now on the lockscreen Control+Alt+Delete do not do anything and I am locked out of my computer.

I have not been able to access Safe Mode by pushing any possible F key for months either. The only way I can is through msconfig. If there is a way to access msconfig without loading windows please let me know.

Thanks,

Danny R

UPDATE!!!

I just discovered a System Image of the computer I am locked out of on one of my external usb backup drives. It was created on 6/11/17 so that is pretty close to the date I got locked out. I have not yet restored a system created with Reflect so any advice on making that smooth as can be would be appreciated.

Mostly, I want to know how to disable Control+Alt+Delete so this never happens again. There is no need for it on my home pc which at this point is basically acting as a media server.

Thanks,

Danny R

:)

 

Win 10 Lock Screen pic won't change

I can't change the picture on my lock screen. Yes I'm on a domain, and yes there is a ctrl-alt-delete log in. Yes Windows is activated. I've deleted SystemData folder. I can actually select a new picture now, but it just reverts to the default screen when
I lock the computer.

The only thing that works is if I disable ctrl-alt-delete login it then WORKS, but I kind of need my ctrl alt delete login .

How is there not a fix for this? Win 8.1 locked screens worked fine with ctrl-alt-delete.

 

Change Secure Login Message

Does anyone know how to modify the message that appears at the login/lock screen about pressing Control-Alt-Delete to unlock the device when Secure Login is enabled?

On a Dell XPS 13 device running Windows 10 Enterprise the login/lock screen message says "Press and hold the Power Button and the Volume Down button to unlock (or press Control-Alt-Delete)"

The issue is that the Power/Volume button combo doesn't actually work and users need to press Control-Alt-Delete to unlock. On a different device also running Windows 10 Enterprise the message simply says "Press Control-Alt-Delete to unlock" so the message
seems to be specific to the XPS device. Is there a registry/Group Policy setting anywhere to adjust what message is displayed?

Windows 10 seems to think the XPS device is a phone or some other type of device that can unlock differently.

Thanks

 

Hi, perhaps your easiest way out of this is to use System Restore- if System Restore works (plenty of issues with it). That is if you have any useful restore points- and you would have had to turn on System Restore as it's off by default in Win 10.

You have disabled MS items, which as you now know is not a good idea, so behaviour can be unpredictable.

Try SHIFT + left click on restart e.g. from Restart from the power button on the login screen, and then navigate to System Restore.

Failing that, the same route lets you get to Safe Mode, where you can access Autoruns to reverse your changes.


Note: we constantly and strongly recommend the routine use of disk imaging (e.g. Macrium Reflect (free) + its boot medium + external storage for image sets)
This lets you recover from
- user error
- failed or inaccessible disk
- corruption
- unbootable PC

quickly and without technical help by restoring your PC to a prior working state. It also provides a complete backup.

 

Using the keyboard type these commands:

1) windows key + x key simultaneously

2) a

3) alt + y key (simultaneously)

4) in the administrative command pop up type or copy and paste:

5) sfc /scannow

6) dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

7) chkdsk /scan

8) net user test /add

When these have completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on copy > paste into the thread

9) shutdown /r

When the computer reboots sign on with the new user: test

Report in the thread your progress with the above steps.

 

I thank you for your advice and if I was able to do any of the steps you outlined I would have already done so and not needed help.

I am stuck on the lockscreen and Control+Alt+Delete does nothing so I cannot access Restore Points which I have created, I cannot SHIFT+Left Click when I Restart, I am not sure what you are referring to when you indicated I have "disabled MS items" and as I also stated I am unable to access Safe Mode during
boot using a function key. I don't know why but it has been this way since about 4 Preview Builds ago...

I was on my way to make a disk image with Reflect before attempting to reverse what I did with Autoruns when the lockout happened.

 

Ok, you can start system restore if you boot from a Win 10 bootable medium.

 

See if you can get to the Windows recovery or advanced troubleshooting menu by power on and as soon as you see the Microsoft icon power off. Repeat this step again. And repeat it a third time. The timing for the power off is critical for the method to work. If it works you should see the message "diagnosing your PC" with spinning dots. If it advances to the windows recovery or advanced troubleshooting menu you will have options to choose.
Start with a restore point. If there are no valid restore points choose startup repair. If startup repair does not work then attempt reset with save files. If reset with save files does not work then plan a repair using a windows 10 iso or an in place upgrade repair using a windows 10 iso.

 

well I discovered that I made a full backup image using Reflect on 6/11/17 which is stored on external usb drive. using my WindowsPE10 usb stick I can restore that backup image although believe I have a system restore point that is even more current than that.

I am able to open an elevated command window in WindowsPE10.

Is there a command I can issue to disable the Ctrl+Alt+Del step or reset the lockscreen and password so I do not have to do any restoring?

This last scenario would be ideal (so I am 99% sure not going to be an option for me of course)

 

was able to get to Safe Mode and am still blocked by Ctrl+Alt+Delete there as well

 

Hi, you don't have to enter Safe Mode to start System Restore if you boot your PC from a Win 10 boot disk.

In Troubleshooting/Advanced Options there is a separate menu option for System Restore. Try that first.

If that fails, there is a way to restore the backup copy of your registry. Do you think that would help?

 

I created installation media using insider build 16193 from the Windows Insider Preview site and got to System Restore as outlined in your post but now I get a window that says

To use system restore you must specify which windows installation to restore
Restart this computer, select an operation system and then select System Restore

Am I missing something here? I put in a Windows 10 Installation media and chose clean installation and I don't have dual boot system

I am thinking restoring the registry may be a good idea..i also have that full backup image from 6/11/17 and a WindowsPE10 rescue disk...what do you think?

Latest update 6/20/2017 06:20am:

I have booted with both the WindowsPE10 rescue media as well as the Insider Preview 16193 Installation media successfully but now when I am trying to boot with either of them I get this bag of crap...

Intel UNDI, PXE-2.1 (build 082)
Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation

For Realtek PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller Series v2.26 (090219)
PXE-E61 : Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F : Exiting PXE ROM.
Invalid Partition Table


I read on another forum that it is because the hard drive needs to be first in the boot order but that would not be possible in my case because I need to boot from the usb drive

Now what?

 

That reveals something is quite basically wrong, I think.

What I see after clicking System Restore is

1.
Choose a target operating system

Square Win 10 Pro
Box

2.
System Restore dialogue box
(Click Next)

3.
System Restore dialogue box
with list of restore points

If that's a Macrium System image, where you saw something like this:



when you created it (note all relevant partitions selected) then the way to go is indeed to restore it.
I presume that's 11/6/17, so 9 days ago, and you've not been making changes the last few days...*Biggrin

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect Windows 10 Backup Restore Tutorials

 

Let us know your progress with Macrium.

If for some reason it does not work you could try a backup using dos commands.

 

I think I see the problem with the "choose operating system" issue...my NVidia graphics card is not compatible with Windows 10 so I am using the MS Basic Display Adapter which is working pretty good other than so far a coup[le issues such as this one where it will not display that Windows 10 box you mentioned. I am following the tutorial for the workaround with the NVidia driver but the first driver I found which was only 1 number different than mine didn't work. I didn't think it would as it is for a fairly new adapter and mine is not new....still interesting that 7 years later the new one is 95% the same. I went to take another look at the workaround tutorial to see which driver to try to modify next and it has been taken off of the Sony website completely! Strange...

So the next thing is that the system image I created is a Macrium image which I have accessed yesterday booting with the Windows PE rescue disk. I held back from restoring it then because I wanted to see if I would be getting a better solution here first. When I went back the boot disk got that weird boot sequence message. I will try again later...

I also could do a Clean Installation with the ISO I burned which is what I used to get to the advanced recovery options this morning but it also gets the boot sequence error message and fail. Will try that again if I cant get to the macrium image.

If using a command prompt or 3 would fix this I am game...however I was only able to get to an elevated command prompt while in Windows PE environment.