How do I lock the keyboard on my Microsoft Surface laptop?

When you fold back the keyboard on the Pro, the keys remain locked and unusable until you fold it forward again. While there is no built-in function to turn off the keyboard for other purposes, You could try disabling the keyboard driver in Device Manager . Alternatively, you might use a third-party utility, such as downloading Keyboard Locker .

How do I change the lock screen picture on my Microsoft Surface?

Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen . Under Background , select Picture or Slideshow . Locate and select the picture or pictures you want to use as your lock screen background.

How do I lock rotation on a Microsoft Surface?

To lock the display into landscape mode, go to Settings > Display , rotate to portrait mode, enable Lock rotation of this display , and select Landscape in the Orientation menu. Select Apply and Keep Changes .

Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Microsoft

How to Lock the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

There are a few ways to sign in and out of a Surface

By

Matthew S. Smith

Updated on August 16, 2021

Reviewed by

Ryan Perian

Microsoft

What to Know

You can lock the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 by pressing the Power button on the keyboard.
Alternatively, you can lock the laptop by pressing Windows+L.

This article explains how to lock a Microsoft Surface Laptop 4.

How to Lock the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

You can lock the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 by pressing the Power button found in the keyboard's upper right corner (between the PgDn and Del keys). This will turn off the display and lock the laptop.

Alternatively, you can use the Windows+L keyboard shortcut. Pressing these keys simultaneously will lock the Surface Laptop 4 but won't turn off the display.

Finally, you can lock the Surface Laptop 4 by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete. The display will turn blue and offer several options. Tap Lock. This will lock the laptop but won't turn off the display.

You can also lock the Surface Laptop 4 by putting it to sleep. Read our guide to Windows 10's sleep mode for more. Shutting down the laptop also effectively locks it, as Windows 10 always requires sign-in when it starts.

How to Unlock the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

You can unlock the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 by signing in to Windows 10 with any available account. In most cases, you'll be prompted to sign in automatically when you open the laptop. If this doesn't happen, press the Power button on the keyboard.

There are several ways to sign in and unlock the Surface Laptop 4.

Tap Sign In (if the laptop has no account security set up)
Enter a password
Enter a PIN
Use Windows Hello Face Recognition
Use a physical security key

You can only unlock the Surface Laptop 4 with a sign-in option that's already set up. In most cases, however, you'll at least be prompted to enter a password, as the Windows 10 setup process asks you to create a password when you set up a Surface device.

How Do I Change My Sign-in Options?

The sign-in options listed above are all found in the Sign-in options menu. Here's how to access it.

Tap Windows Start.
Select Settings.
Select Accounts.
Tap Sign-in options.
Alternatively, you can perform a Windows Search for Sign-in options. It should appear as the first result.

Sign-in options will list all the ways you can potentially sign in to the Surface Laptop. You can set up each option by selecting it with your mouse and following the on-screen instructions.

Sign-in options will list an option that doesn't work by default: Windows Hello Fingerprint. The Surface Laptop 4 doesn't have a fingerprint reader. You can buy a third-party fingerprint reader and connect it over USB, however.

How Do I Skip Microsoft Sign-In?

There's a good chance your Surface Laptop 4 is set up to unlock with a password tied to your Microsoft account. Windows 10 nudges you towards this login method when you first set up a Surface device.

However, you can skip Microsoft sign-in by switching to a local account. Consult our guide to using a Windows 10 local account for the details.

Switching to a local account will remove helpful security features like device encryption and the ability to manage or lock a device if it's lost remotely. We recommend you keep Microsoft sign-in enabled if you're already using it.

How Do I Log Into My Surface Without a Password?

You can log in to your Surface without a password by removing your Microsoft account, as described above. You're free to remove all sign-in protections once that is complete (and some, like Windows Hello, are disabled if you use a local account).

FAQ

How do I lock the keyboard on my Microsoft Surface laptop?

When you fold back the keyboard on the Pro, the keys remain locked and unusable until you fold it forward again. While there is no built-in function to turn off the keyboard for other purposes, You could try disabling the keyboard driver in Device Manager. Alternatively, you might use a third-party utility, such as downloading Keyboard Locker.
How do I change the lock screen picture on my Microsoft Surface?

Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. Under Background, select Picture or Slideshow. Locate and select the picture or pictures you want to use as your lock screen background.
How do I lock rotation on a Microsoft Surface?

To lock the display into landscape mode, go to Settings > Display, rotate to portrait mode, enable Lock rotation of this display, and select Landscape in the Orientation menu. Select Apply and Keep Changes.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for letting us know!

Tell us why!