Windows computer restarts when locked [Fix]

If your Windows computer restarts when it’s locked, this post will help you fix this issue. Usually, this issue can occur due to power settings, software issues, etc.

Fix Windows computer restarts when locked

Use these fixes if your Windows computer restarts when it’s locked:

Adjust Power Settings
Run SFC and DISM scans
Update GPU driver
Disable Hybrid Sleep (if applicable)
Troubleshoot in the Clean Boot state
View Event logs

Let’s start.

1] Adjust Power Settings

The first step you should take is to adjust your Power Settings. Adjusting power settings can also help resolve conflicts between different power-saving features or software that might interfere with lock screen behavior. To do so, use the following steps:

Go to the Control Panel.
Click on the Power Options.
Click on Change plan settings.
Set both Turn off the display and Put the computer to sleep to Never.

2] Run SFC and DISM scans

There is a possibility that corrupted or faulty system files could also cause this issue. In such a case, you should scan the system image files. To do this, run the System File Checker tool. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following command.

sfc /scannow

If this doesn’t work, we will run DISM in Command Prompt (admin) and see if that helps.

3] Update GPU driver

You can download the latest GPU driver from the official website of your computer manufacturer. After downloading the GPU driver, completely remove the display driver by using DDU. After that run the installer file and install the driver.

4] Disable Hybrid Sleep (if applicable)

Check if Hybrid Sleep is activated on your computer. If yes, disable it.

5] Troubleshoot in the Clean Boot state

A possible cause of this error is a conflicting third-party application or service. Start your computer in a Clean Boot State and check if the issue persists. If your computer does not restart when it’s locked, a third-party application or service is responsible for this error.

Now, you have to identify the problematic third-party application or service. To do so, go through the following instructions:

Enable some startup apps using the Task Manager.
Restart your computer.
Check if the error occurs or not. If not, enable other startup apps and restart your computer.
Check if the error occurs. If yes, one of the apps that you have just enabled is the culprit.
Now, disable one of these apps and restart your computer. Follow the process until the error disappears.
When the error disappears, the app you have just disabled is the culprit.

Similarly, you can find problematic third-party services. But this time, you have to use the MSConfig app.

6] View Event logs

Windows creates event logs whenever an error occurs on the computer. All these errors and warnings are recorded for troubleshooting purposes. These event logs help users and developers troubleshoot and fix the errors. We suggest you view the event logs in Windows Event Viewer to get some hints about why your computer restarts when locked.

Click on Windows Search and type Event Viewer.
Select the best match from the search results.
When the Event Viewer opens up, expand the Windows Logs folder and select the System folder.
Now, locate the error based on the date and time when your computer restarted.
Select the error and read its description.

You may see different Event IDs, like

Event ID 41, System has rebooted without cleanly shutting down in Windows 11/10

The above Event ID error occurs when the computer restarts without cleanly shutting down. There can be many causes that trigger this Event ID error, like overclocking, faulty RAM, a faulty power supply unit, overheating issues, etc.

Based on the error message shown in the Event Viewer, you can proceed with further troubleshooting. You can refer to the best help and tech support websites to get help on the error displayed in the Event Viewer.

I hope this helps to fix your issue.

Why did my PC freeze and then restart?

There are many possible reasons why your PC freezes and then restarts. The most common reasons are overheating, driver problems, hardware issues, etc. Monitor your computer’s temperature and make sure that your computer’s fans are clean and functioning properly. Also, check you’re using the latest drivers for your graphics card.

What to do if my Windows computer is stuck on the restarting screen?

If your Windows computer is stuck on the Restart screen, then you can do troubleshooting like force restarting your PC, uninstalling updates from Windows Recovery Environment, performing a system restore in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), etc.