Windows 10: Notepad Program Closes After Computer Lock Screen

Dear Microsoft Community,I'm having trouble every time after I lock the screen with Ctrl + L, my notepad file keeps closing automatically while other programs remain open.It's very annoying that I have keep opening them manually again and again.Please help.

:)

 

Windows 10 lock screen closes programs

Recently, when Windows 10 returns to the lock screen, all of my programs (e.g. Excel) are closed, any unsaved information is lost, and I must restart the programs upon entering my password at the lock screen. The behavior is as if, by leaving the computer idle, I clicked the "sign out" option (which I have not).

• Reverting to an old system restore point did not work.
  
• Using Win-L and then immediately entering my password does not close my programs. I don't know how long the delay is between going to the lock screen and my programs being closed
  
• I have no screen saver; the screen goes blank after 10 minutes; I have - to my knowledge - unchecked all instances of returning to the lock screen
  
• I do want the lock screen, as this is an office computer
  
• When booting to safe mode, the problem does not appear.
  

In response to comments

• My office computer is not on the institution's domain, although they do have one.
  
• I can confirm that the computer is not rebooting by checking that no events with IDs 6005 or 6006 occur at times when my programs close
  
• Starting the lock screen witn Win-L and waiting 15-20 minutes does not cause my programs to close. I not yet been able to check longer times; however, this is the only clue I have thus far to suggest that the program closing issue may not be attached to the lock screen.
  

I am not sufficiently familiar with the event viewer or task scheduling to check these systems for additional diagnostic information.

How do I continue to diagnose, and ultimately resolve, the issue of the Windows-10 lock screen apparently forcing all of my programs to close?

 

notepad

04sall is the name of the document that Notepad has opened. Usually Notepad is meant to open "text" or "source code" files, however it can open other types of files. Now relating back to your issue, the fact that 04sall does not have file format means
that it used by a program or Windows, and could be quite large. This might have caused Notepad to freeze. You will have to force close Notepad, to do that please follow the following steps.

Step 1: Press the buttons "Ctrl, alt, and delete" simultaneously. A list of options should come up. Click on Task Manager from the options that display. Note, if Task Manager is unable to open OR pressing the buttons "Ctrl, alt, and delete" simultaneously
does not do anything, jump to Step 5.

Step 2: In task manager select Notepad. Now click the "End Task" button. If a confirmation message comes up, then click "End Task" in the confirmation message. If Notepad closes then problem is solved. If Notepad does not close please repeat this step.
If repeating this step after 5 times does not work, go on to Step 3.

Step 3: Select Notepad on task manager, right click on the selected Notepad in Task Manager. A drop down menu should come up. Select "Go to Details". After doing this DO NOT click on anything yet. Go to step 4.

Step 4: There should already be something highlighted, right click the highlighted object, a drop down menu should appear. Click "End Task" option from that menu. A prompt will come up, click the "End Process" option on the prompt. If Notepad closes then
problem is solved. If Notepad does not close, please repeat this step. If repeating this step does not work, got to step 5.

Step 5: Hard shutdown the computer, by pressing onto the power button. DO NOT LET GO OF the power button until the computer power indication sign has turned off. Now turn the computer back on. If the issue is gone, then problem is fixed. If "04sall-notepad"
opens up again on startup, please reply back stating that.

 

Windows Spotlight on the lock screen

Hi,

There are multiple causes on why you're encountering this issue. To further troubleshoot the issue, we suggest that you disable and re-enable Spotlight. Simply follow the steps below:

• Right-click on the desktop and open Personalize.
• Open Lock Screen tab.
• Under Background, switch from Windows Spotlight to a Picture or the Slideshow.
• Click OK and close the Window.
• Now Log off and log in.
• Navigate to Lock screen and enable Windows Spotlight again.

Let us know how it works.