A lot of Windows users have encountered the fact that sometimes the computer locks up. Messages like “Your Windows is locked” may appear in several cases. And this is not always associated precisely with viral exposure. The fact is that the system itself can issue notifications of this kind. It is further suggested that you familiarize yourself with possible situations and basic methods for resolving such a problem.
Windows computer is locked: possible causes of this phenomenon
So, let's start with the root causes of blocking the operating system itself, registration record, disk, or access to some applications. In general, there may not be so many situations where it is reported that a Windows computer is locked.
Among all that meets most often, it is possible to allocate such problems:
- the system is blocked due to lack of activation;
- access to programs is limited by the security system or by the administrator;
- ransomware viruses block the system.
Based on the underlying causes presented below, we will consider some solutions that can correct such situations. And let's start by blocking some of the system’s functions after installing it on a computer.
What to do if Windows 7 is locked after installation?
It is no secret that for all systems of this family, including the already tenthly freely distributed tenth modification, a special license key must be entered during the installation process. However, in any installer, you can skip this step, postponing the activation of the operating system until later. The system will work, but the period of its use is usually limited to thirty days.
If you do not enter an activation code during this time, a constantly hanging notification will appear on the screen in the system tray area indicating that, for example, Windows 7 is locked. In other words, using it to its full extent will be impossible. As already clear, to correct the situation, it is necessary to carry out activation. After successful completion of the procedure and rebooting, the system notification that the Windows system is locked will disappear. Many users, unfortunately, constantly postpone registration, leaving this procedure for later, and completely do not monitor the deadlines for the trial period. Thus, the usual carelessness leads to the fact that the whole system at one point ceases to work.
Using activator
However, not all users seek to purchase official copies of the system and far from always have the necessary activation keys available. It is clear that in this case a message will again be displayed stating that Windows is locked. What to do in such a situation?
There is a solution, although it can be attributed to some unlawful actions on the part of the user that violate international law. However, this has never stopped our user. If you want to activate the system without a key, just use utilities like KMSAuto Net, which perform this procedure automatically. The only thing you should pay attention to is the agreement to include the re-activation process in the "Task Scheduler" (re-registration will be carried out every ten days). In addition, the file itself cannot be deleted. If the anti-virus or the protection system of the OS itself (the Defender and the firewall) is triggered, the object must be added to the exclusion lists of all tools that monitor the system’s security. In the firewall, you can immediately add the program to the list of allowed or create a new rule for its launch. Exactly the same actions are performed in antiviruses.
Admin Rights
But the administrator of the computer and the system administrator can block access to Windows if network modifications are used. In this case, we are talking not only about restricting the use of programs or tools of the system, but also about the fact that logging in as a registered user will simply be impossible.
So, if the administrator blocked Windows 10 from logging in, the solution is obvious - you need to contact him to restore access. If you know the administrator login and password, the solution looks even simpler. Just log in under the administrator, go to account management, select your registration and set the necessary rights or unlock. By the way, setting the appropriate rights to change system parameters or disabling the “accounting” control can come in handy even if Windows 10 blocked the program, considering it unreliable when trying to install or when starting after installation.
The simplest solution is to disable UAC control, access to which can be obtained through the Windows search system (so as not to rummage through various menus for a long time). In the settings window, you just need to move the slider to the lowest position, save the settings and restart. You can also disable the firewall and the TrustedInstaller service. In the event that some applet has blocked Windows, you can unlock it, but by already setting up a constant launch on behalf of the administrator. To do this, use the properties section of the executable file or its shortcut with a mark on the corresponding line so that the application constantly starts with the rights the user needs and the system does not issue constant trust requests. By the way, the same applies to the TrustedInstaller service, which can be disabled by the simplest method through the services section, where it is first deactivated in the parameters, and then the disabled start option is set for it in the startup type.
Virus Blocking: Remedies
Finally, one of the most common situations is the impossibility of logging into the system when a constantly hanging banner appears on the screen during the boot with a notification that the computer is locked (Windows is blocked) due to visits to some dubious sites on the Internet or the distribution of inappropriate content, which is allegedly made from your address.
In fact, the operating system itself does not provide such a lock, and the user is dealing with a common ransomware virus, which in addition to everything else also gives out a requirement to pay a certain amount, after which the system seems to be back to normal. Do not try to transfer anything to the specified details. You can get rid of this kind of virus with simpler methods:
- restore the system from a checkpoint;
- remove virus keys from the system registry;
- use antivirus software.
System Restore
Consider a situation where, for example, Windows XP is blocked. The system does not start, and at the stage of loading the “Desktop” the above banner appears.
First, you can try to force shut down the computer or laptop, then turn it on again and see if automatic recovery starts. If for some reason this does not work, you will need to turn it on and off several times so that the system itself determines that an incorrect shutdown has been made.
If recovery still does not work, the system does not boot, or at startup it turns out that the Windows account is locked, you can use the classic method of choosing the type of boot by pressing F8 at startup (in Windows 10 this option does not work, and you can use it to start removable media). Here, simply choose to download the last working configuration and see how the system behaves.
If this does not help, try to start in safe mode, and then enter the system recovery settings through the “Control Panel” and roll back using the checkpoint that preceded the virus penetration into the system (if there isn’t such a point, click on link showing other points).
Using Registry Editor in Safe Mode
But suppose that this did not work. Again, we observe a situation when Windows is blocked by a virus application. What to do in this case?
First, you should use the boot in safe mode with command line support, and then through the console, call the registry editor (regedit command). Now the most important thing begins.
First of all, you need to find the Shell and Userinit keys in the HKLM branch, which are located in the Winlogon directory. The first entry (without options) should contain the value explorer.exe, and for the second, the full path to the userinit.exe executable file, which is located in the System32 folder of the Windows root directory in the system partition (usually on drive C).
After that, you should check the similar section in the HKCU branch. Here in the same directory the above keys should not be at all. If they are, they must be deleted. Then, for accuracy, you need to check the Run and RunOnce directories in the HKLM and HKCU branches. In these sections, you need to get rid of all suspicious entries in which the current values ​​are set to links to executable EXE files whose names consist of a meaningless character set (if for some reason you doubt whether to delete a certain key, just go to double-click editing the parameters and set the value to one - this will disable the application execution, and if necessary, the value can be returned to its previous state after fixing the main problems with the operating system itself, but after its restart in working condition).
Disk Cleanup
The next step, if the Windows disk is locked, will be to clean it. The same command line is used for this, but the abbreviation cleanmgr is written in it. In the window that appears, check the boxes on all lines that are in the list, except for the option to delete backup files.
At the end of editing the registry and the cleaning procedure, you can restart the computer and see how the download will be performed. If for some reason the start is again impossible, enter explorer.exe in the command console, go to the Users user folder, in the directory go to the AppData folder and in the subdirectories delete the files with the names that you got rid of in the registry.
If, when performing the indicated actions with the registry and the system partition, it is not possible to call the command line through the start in safe mode, you will have to use booting from removable media (installation or recovery disk / flash drive) followed by similar procedures. The command console in this case can be activated in the fastest way through the combination of Shift + F10.
AntiWinLocker Application
But what if, even after this, it turns out that the Windows computer is blocked by a virus application? Here specialized utilities come to the rescue. One of the most interesting is the described boot program, which allows you to start, being recorded on an optical or USB-drive.
After starting the program, you must accept the license agreement and select automatic start. Further, this tool will perform a full scan of the computer system and indicate where the viruses are located. You can delete them immediately or leave the execution of such actions for later, but after restarting you will additionally need to run some kind of anti-virus scanner. In theory, the system should boot normally.
Kaspersky Rescue Disk Utility
If the previous solution did not help, and again it turns out that the Windows computer is locked, you can use the equally effective Kaspersky Rescue Disk utility, which also starts from removable media.
After starting the utility, you first need to select the language and preferred interface (graphical is best). After that, you can either check for viruses, or turn directly to unlocking the system. For the first option, all disks and partitions are marked, after which the scanning process starts.
For the second option, a terminal line is used, called through the main menu button (like the "Start" button in Windows), and the windowsunlocker line is entered in the console that appears. After that, a black window will appear similar to the command console, where three options will be offered. For instant unlocking, a unit is entered, after which it remains only to wait for the completion of the process. However, even in the case of an immediate scan and detection of a virus with its removal or neutralization, the launch of the operating system will become possible. By the way, it is this program that allows you to detect and eliminate almost all known threats, so its use in case of deep infection is the most effective.
AVZ program
Now another situation, when it turns out that Windows is locked. The AVZ program or some kind of portable scanner can be used, so to speak, already for a control shot - conducting a system check and / or its recovery with the elimination of detected problems.
The application starts when the system starts from removable media or in safe mode, after which the restore item is selected from the file menu. Mark everything that is needed and press the button for performing the selected actions. But it’s too early to rejoice. Next, you need to go to the built-in “Troubleshooting Wizard”, select system problems and the “All” item, mark all the lines and perform the necessary actions to scan and fix the found failures. After that, you just need to use the browser settings and tweaks section, and then through the service menu go to the explorer extension editor, where the boxes are removed from all the items marked in black. Next, through the same service menu, go to the Internet Explorer extension manager and delete all the lines that appear in the settings window.
When a Windows computer is locked, running this application in safe mode may not work. If you want to use just such an option to start the utility, you can use the system’s boot menu (F8) and choose to start the recovery tool first, and then use the command line from which you need to launch the standard Notepad by entering the notepad command. In this program, you should open the AVZ.exe file by selecting “Everything” in the file type, and run the antivirus executable file through RMB with the choice of the “Open” line and not the “Select” line, since using the second item will only result in a textual representation of the compiled file will be shown, and not its start as an executable applet.
What if nothing helps?
As already understood, viruses can block access to Windows quite simply. Typically, such situations are associated with outdated versions of XP, but it is far from a fact that later modifications cannot be affected.
However, returning to the main question, we can assume that none of the above solutions gave a positive result. What to do in this situation? Here, as a last option, you can offer to remove the hard drive with an infected system, connect it to an uninfected computer terminal and scan it for viruses using a portable antivirus that starts from the computer to which your hard drive is connected. What to use? In principle, utilities like Dr. Web CureIt or KVRT from Kaspersky Lab. True, it is impossible to mark boot or hidden areas of the connected HDD in them, however, it is possible to use such a solution just as the last option (naturally, provided that no other measures help).
Instead of a total
That, in fact, is all that relates to the occurrence of problems when the system or some of its functions are blocked. If the operating system starts, you can immediately conclude that the prohibitions are imposed due to the lack of activation or represent security measures by the system itself or the computer administrator. But in the case of messages in the form of banners, this is a clear sign of a viral effect.
As for troubleshooting and bringing the system to a normal working state, it’s best to use KMSAuto Net for activation (the program is portable and does not require installation), to eliminate problems with prohibitions on the part of the OS itself, disabling UAC control or providing yourself with extended rights to change the system configuration or access to blocked programs. Well, to fight viruses without utilities that start even before loading the main Windows modules, in this case it is impossible to get by.
Yes, and one more thing. Even if the operating system starts in safe mode, under no circumstances is it recommended to use supposedly anti-virus programs like SpyHunter, since threats may be detected and will be, but it will be impossible to remove them or neutralize them without buying the main application. In addition, then getting rid of this type of antivirus applets themselves will be much more difficult than removing threats detected by other applications, for example, Kaspersky Lab applications. So, if you are invited to download and install such utilities, it is better, as they say, not to risk it.