How to lock or unlock a Windows 8 or 8.1 computer.

Follow these steps to lock or unlock the computer.

IMPORTANT: These instructions are for the Windows® 8 and 8.1 operating systems only, and will not work for any other Windows operating systems.

There are three ways to lock the computer:

• Method 1: From any screen, press the Windows Logo + L key combination to immediately lock the computer.
• Method 2: From any screen, press CTRL + ALT + DEL key combination and, from the options menu, click Lock.
• Method 3: From the Windows User Interface (UI) Start screen, click the Account picture and, from the options menu, click Lock.

To unlock the computer, enter the appropriate password and click the Arrow button or press the Enter key.

NOTE: A separate article is available on what to do if you have forgotten your Windows password .