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How to disable a password protected screensaver in Windows XP

Has your IT deptartment created a policy of a password protected screensaver? Does it kick in if you step away from your PC for only a few minutes? Does it irritate the life out of you at work and hinder your productivity by incessantly asking you for a password?

Well, here is how to disable it.

1) Find "Run" on the start Menu and type "regedit". Then click "OK".

Screensaver Password Disable

2) This will open the Windows Registry Editor, as in the picture below. You will need to Expand the menu item HKEY_CURRENT_USER and the scoll down and down and down....

Screensaver Password Disable

3)... and eventually find inside the Software/Policies/Microsoft/Windows/Control Panel/Desktop folder a selection of options such as those you see here on the left of the image.

Screensaver Password Disable

4) The important two here are ScreenSaverIsSecure and ScreenSaveTimeOut. Double click the word "ScreenSaverIsSecure" and change the 1 to a 0 (Zero) Then do the same with ScreenSaveTimeOut, but this time make it a really high number such as 150000. This ensures that even if the password is still activated (it won't be) that the time for the screensaver to activate will be so long, it never will.

Screensaver Password Disable

5) When all this is done, close the Registry Editor, and it will be done. Then go find the Network Nazi responsible for this and give them a good hard kick in the balls for implementing something that only annoys people and reduces productivity. If they tell you they're just doing what they're told, go and kick their manager instead. If either use the word "security", kick them twice.

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