How to show lock screen in Windows 8 without having a password.

I made it so that I don't need to enter a password to login to my computer. My Microsoft account is the only one used on it, and I live alone, so entering my password every time I want to turn the computer on is a pain to not much of a use.

However, when I upgraded to Windows 8, I was really looking forward to the new lock screen. Seeing upcoming events, new emails and such, obvious and huge on the screen when I get back after being away from the computer for a while, to me, is pretty awesome, since I tend to forget things. A good automatic and constant reminder. But I don't even understand how to make it appear again. Do I -absolutely- need a password? Can I, say, make a picture password and define the whole damned screen as the point to click to unlock it, with only one or two clicks required?

I realise the purpose of a lock screen is to lock - if there's no password, it's not locked. But I was hoping that maybe there's a way to have it there, only to disappear when I click, a bit like my Android phone has a lock screen which only needs a swipe from my finger to go away.

Go to the personalize option in the desktop right click menu and open the screen save settings. Here set a screen saver and select the box that says "On resume, display login screen"

Now when you resume your computer from the screen saver, you'll be greeted by the lock screen. A simple click, keypress, swype, etc. brings you back to where you left off.

Alternatively, you can just press Win+L when you leave your computer.

If you don't want a screen saver, choose "Blank" as your screen saver rather than "(None)", as from my testing, the lock screen will not show when you have it set to None.

I know this is an old thread but it still may help some people.

The solution is to switch from using your Microsoft online profile to a local one.

Swipe in from the right, go to change PC settings, go to accounts, then where you see your Microsoft email account, click disconnect. This will prompt you to create a local PC profile. After you enter your name, just hit enter in the password field. Now whenever you swipe up on the lock screen, it will go right to start. This works well if you're like me and don't use your Microsoft live account for anything.

Bring up Search from the Charms bar. Search for "Run" and open it. Type in control userpasswords2. Go to the Advanced tab. Select, at the bottom, "Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

This will force a lock screen so you have to press the three finger salute (control alt delete), but after that, when it asks for a password, just hit enter.

This could be a pretty good solution for you.

First Step: Screensaver settings. Right click desktop, personalise, screensaver. Check the box that says "On resume, display login screen". Hit apply then ok.

Second Step: Making sure we are automatically logged in. Windows + R to bring up run, type netplwiz. With your user name highlighted untick the box that says "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer". Hit apply then ok.

Third Step: Creating a picture password. Bottom right corner, settings, users, change picture password. Find a picture you like, create the three gestures, confirm the three gestures and then click finish.

Now restart your computer. You will be automatically logged in and when your screensaver is now interrupted, you will resume at the lock screen with a gesture based unlock.

All I did was this go to screen saver and click "none". Next to it you will see a box titled "On resume, display logon screen". Untick that box. That solved my problem; hope it helps you, too. All that will happen then your screen will go blank like normal. Move mouse back again.

The gesture based unlock I have found to be most convenient. Instead of drawing 3 gestures triple clicking a spot of your choice works just as well. Quick and simple.