How to lock the screen from the start menu

In Windows, you can lock the screen with "Windows" + "L" in both Windows 11 and Windows 10. It's an easy feature to use, such as when you're out of your office desktop or when you want to lock your working PC so that your kids don't mischief you at home.

The screen lock itself can also be done by following from the start menu. "Start button"-> "User icon"-> "Lock". "Windows" + "L" is a shortcut for this operation. It's convenient because you can lock the screen in one shot. I want to remember it as a basic operation method.

The locked screen can be unlocked by using biometric authentication functions such as password entry, PIN code entry, and fingerprint authentication.

Note that no other processing can be assigned

This feature has two distinct features, especially from other "Windows" key shortcuts. First, it's a very high priority. Shortcuts with the "Windows" key can be assigned to different keys using "Microsoft PowerToys". If the default shortcut key isn't convenient for you, you can change it with PowerToys.

Winキーのショートカットを覚えよう【ロックとキーボード問題の修正】

For example, if you live on both Windows and Mac, some shortcut keys can cause annoying movements. In such a case, you can operate it comfortably by changing the shortcut key with mPowerToys.

However, this function cannot be applied to "Windows" + "L". Since "Windows" + "L" is processed with a higher priority than the authority handled by PowerToys, PowerToys cannot assign other processing to "Windows" + "L".

The key corresponding to "Windows" + "L" is "⌘" + "L" in the keyboard layout on Mac, but this key is usually used as a shortcut key to move the focus to the address bar of the browser. It is used. In other words, if you normally use "⌘" + "L" on a Mac, you will use "Windows" + "L" on Windows, and screen locks will occur frequently. This irritating feeling is incomplete.

However, "Windows" + "L" has a high priority, so the assignment cannot be changed. In order to assign "Windows" + "L" to other keys, it is necessary to customize deeper than PowerToys, but Microsoft has not officially explained how to do so, so it is recommended to adopt it as a setting. I can't recommend it.

Therefore, "Windows" + "L" can only be used as such. If the settings conflict with the Mac, I think it's better to change the settings on the Mac side and assign "⌘" + "L" to "Ctrl" + "L".

The effect of undoing crazy keystrokes

And another, "Windows" + "L" can be expected to have the effect of "undoing the crazy key input". This is just a side effect, but I think some people use "Windows" + "L" frequently for this purpose.

Windows is an operating system with a good GUI, but if you want to achieve high work efficiency, it is essential to utilize keyboards and shortcut keys. Microsoft has already made Windows Terminal the default terminal for Windows, and PowerShell 7 looks great. The development of Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code is also active, and the conditions for using the keyboard are in place.

However, I'm sure many advanced users have had occasional keystrokes messed up while leveraging terminal applications. It is difficult to identify the cause, but if you perform any operation, the key input will be incorrect. When this happens, the terminal application becomes useless. Rebooting the system solves the problem, but the total number of minutes it takes to reboot and the total loss of time caused by interrupted work is even greater. If possible, I don't want to reboot the system while I'm working.

So "Windows" + "L". "Windows" + "L" has a high priority and can often be used even when key input is incorrect. And once the lock screen is displayed and then back, the problem is often fixed. Knowing this method and not knowing it will change the feeling of despair when keystrokes go wrong. If this method is fixed, the problem can be solved in a few seconds even if the key input goes wrong. It's a very convenient function, so I hope you will remember that such an operation is possible.