How to Lock Your PC Automatically

If you are one of the 36.2 million Americans that work part or full-time from home, there is a good chance you might have important or sensitive information on your home computer. The last thing you want is for another household user to accidentally delete a file, close a file without saving it or view confidential information that only company employees should see.

Perhaps you want to “child protect” your PC from having minors accidentally viewing mature material or inappropriate content. Inaccurate information can sway your child’s views and some images might even upset your child. Even leaving a game rated by Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) can present disturbing images.

• Some very disturbing statistics show that it happens more than we would hope.
• 56% of 11-16 have seen explicit material online. (Online Source)
• 1 in 3 British Children 12-15 have encountered sexist, racist, or discriminatory content. (Online Source)
• 1 in 10 Children aged 8 -11 who go online said they had seen something nasty or worrying. (Online Source).

Be Responsible

If any of these scenarios are possible in your home, you may wish to use Window’s ability to automatically lock your computer when you step away.

Follow these steps to set up Dynamic Lock Your PC:

1. Use Bluetooth to pair your phone with your PC.* Learn how to pair devices using Bluetooth.
2. On your Windows 11 PC, select Start> Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
3. Select Dynamic Lock,
4. Select the “Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you are away” check box.
5. Take your phone with you when you move away from your PC, and it will automatically lock within a minute or so after you’re out of Bluetooth range.

Bluetooth range varies and is affected by several conditions.

• The version of Bluetooth being used, “Classic” is 30 feet, and “Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)” is 400 feet.
• The number of walls, and the material used. Concrete restricts more than drywall.
• The amount of furniture between devices will restrict signal strength.

 Activating Bluetooth

In Windows 11 you can activate Bluetooth and pair it with your mobile device.

1. Type Bluetooth in the search area of your Taskbar
2. Bluetooth and other devices settings” will appear as the top choice in the list.
3. Click on either section to open the settings window.
4. In the Bluetooth row, ensure that the toggle button is set to ON.
5. In the second row, click on Add Device.
6. A new window will open giving you the ability to select the type of device you wish to activate. Because we are trying to pair to a phone select the first item “Bluetooth” If your device does not appear by name it might show as an “unknown device” but when you attempt to pair it will produce a code and if the one on your phone and PC match you should be good to go.
7. Windows will automatically search for discoverable devices. Make sure that the computer and mobile device are turned on and discoverable. Your mobile phone and device will display the PIN code. If the PIN on your mobile device and computer match click on OK to pair.
   

   Summary

   Obviously, another option is to have the computer screen go to sleep and require a password or pin to reenter Windows but setting a short time for entering sleep can find you constantly signing back into Windows. Too long and you still run the risk of leaving the computer on when you leave the device. With Dynamic lock, you can be confident that your computer is locked when you run an errand.