The safety of the device is essential when working in a co-working space. You can carry your phones in your pocket but not your laptop. You can password-protect your laptop and lock it whenever you leave your desk for a few minutes. This way, no one can access it without your permission.ย
But we are humans, and forgetting things is our nature. It can happen that you left your desk and forgot to lock your laptop. Now, anyone can use the moment to access your device and its personal information. To overcome such issues, Microsoft introduced the Dynamic Lock feature.ย
The Dynamic Lock is not fail-proof and can stop working. Ifย it does not work on yourย Windows 11 PC, we will guide you throughย how to fix it.ย
What is Dynamic Lock and How Does it Work?
Microsoft introduced Dynamic Lock, a security feature for Windows 10 and 11. The feature works when you pair a Bluetooth device with your PC and set up a dynamic lock with that device.ย
Windows will always look for the Bluetooth device and lock/unlock the system accordingly. For instance, you have paired your phone with the PC for the Dynamic Lock. When you leave the desk and keep your phone in your pocket connected to your PC, Windows will recognize that the connected device is not in range and lock your PC.ย
Now you might wonder, what if my Bluetooth device is in the bag and you are working on your PC? Will it still be locked? The simple answer is no. Windows will only lock your system if the Bluetooth device is not in range and thereโs no input for 30 seconds.ย
Why is my Dynamic Lock Not Working on Windows 11?
No matter how useful a feature may sound, some issues will always be associated with it, and the same is the case with Dynamic Lock. If Dynamic Lock is not working on Windows 11, then the following reasons can be the culprit behind it-
- Dynamic Lock is turned off
- Thereโs some issue with the Bluetooth services running on your PC
- Bluetooth drivers are outdated or corrupted
- Power management settings are interrupting the connectivity between your phone and your PC
- Corrupted system files can also cause issues with dynamic Lock on Windows 11
- Thereโs some connectivity issue between your PC and your Bluetooth device.ย
- Misconfigured Windows settings are another common cause of dynamic Lock not working on Windows PCs.ย
Fix Dynamic Lock Not Working on Windows
Can you set up and use Dynamic Lock on your Windows PC? Here are the steps to fix this issue-
1. Turn on Dynamic Lock
Ensure the dynamic lock feature on your Windows PC is enabled. You can follow the steps mentioned below to check and enable dynamic Lock-
- Open theย Settingsย app by pressingย Windows + I.ย
- Now, click on theย Accountsย tab on the left.ย
- On the right, click onย Sin-in Options.
- Now, click theย Dynamic Lockย option, and check the checkbox saying โAllow Windows to automatically lock your device when youโre away.โ
2. Disconnect and Reconnect Device
You must ensure your phoneโs Bluetooth is on and connected to your PC. However, if it is connected to your PC but still has issues with the Dynamic Lock, you can disconnect and reconnect your device from the PC.ย
- Head to the Windowsย Settings, and click theย Bluetooth & Devicesย tab on the left pane.ย
- Now, click onย View more devices.
- Look for your phone connected to your PC, click on the three dots next to it, and then click onย Remove Device. Do not close the window you are on.
- Open your phoneโsย Bluetooth Settings, tap on your PC from the paired devices, and click Unpairย to unpair them.
- Now, on your PC, click onย the Add Deviceย button.ย
- Next, click onย Bluetooth.ย
- You will see your phone here; click on it.ย
- After this, you will see the pairing code on the phone and PC; confirm it and selectย Pairย on both devices to pair them.ย
3. Update Bluetooth Drivers
If Dynamic Lock is not working on Windows, it can be due to outdated Bluetooth drivers.ย
Try updating the Bluetooth drivers of your Windows PC to the latest version to resolve this issue. You can utilize Device Manager to update the Bluetooth drivers-
- Open theย Device Managerย from the Windows Menu that opens up by pressing theย Windows + Xย key combo.ย
- Expand theย Bluetoothย list here.ย
- Right-click on your Bluetooth driver (generally from Intel), and then click onย Update Driver.
- Click onย Search Automatically for Driversย to update the driver from the internet.ย
4. Reinstall Bluetooth Drivers
If your Bluetooth drivers are already updated to the latest version, then the drivers are probably buggy or corrupted, and thatโs why you are facing this issue. Try reinstalling the drivers by following the steps given below to fix the issue-
- On your PC, launchย Device Manager.ย
- Under theย Bluetooth, right-click on your Bluetooth driver, then selectย Uninstall Device.
- To confirm, click onย Uninstallย from the pop-up that opens up.ย
- Once done, you must restart your PC to reinstall the driver.ย
5. Restart Bluetooth Services
Bluetooth services must be running to maintain a proper connection between the device and the PC. If these services are stopped or not running, Bluetooth connectivity issues can occur. You can restart the Bluetooth services by following the steps given below to fix this issue-
- Launch theย Start Menuย and search forย Services and pressย Enter button.
- Look for theย Bluetooth Support Service, right-click on it, and then click on the Start option.
- Similarly, restart theย BluetoothUserService_3f2a9ย service.ย
6. Run SFC Scan
As discussed above, corrupted system files can also cause this issue. You can run the SFC scan through the Command Prompt to scan for corrupted system files and fix them.ย
- Press theย Windows + Sย key combo and search forย CMD. Right-click on theย Command Promptย and then click onย Run As Administrator.
- In the Command Prompt, type and execute the command given below to run SFC Scan-
-
sfc /scannow
-
- Once the scan is completed, close the Command Prompt window and restart your PC.ย
7. Check Power Management Settings
Sometimes, the power management settings can also interfere with Bluetooth connectivity between your phone and PC, causing this issue. Check the power management settings and see if they are causing the issue with the dynamic Lock on your Windows PC.ย
- Launch theย Device Managerย from theย Start Menu.
- Expandย Bluetooth, right-click on the Bluetooth driver, and then clickย Properties.
- Under theย Power Management tab, click the optionย โAllow the computer to turn off this device to save power.โ
- Clickย OKย and close the Device Manager.ย
8. Make Changes to the Group Policy Editor
You can change the Group Policy Editor and enable the Dynamic Lock feature. This should most probably fix the issue with the dynamic Lock.
However, note that you cannot continue with this method on Windows 11 Home. If you have Windows 11 Home, you can continue with the Registry Editor method mentioned in the next step.ย
- Press theย Windows + Rย key combo, typeย gpedit.msc, and pressย Enter.
- Navigate to the following path in the Group Policy Editor-
-
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Hello for Business
-
- Now, openย Configure dynamic lock factorsย on the right pane.
- On the next screen, selectย Enabled. Click onย Applyย and then onย OKย to save the changes.ย
- A restart will be required for the changes to be applied.ย
9. Make Changes to the Registry Editor
For Windows 11 Home users who cannot follow the Group Policy Editor Method, they can make changes to the Registry Editor to fix this issue. Hereโs how-
- Click on theย Windowsย icon and search forย Registry Editor. Open the Registry Editor form here.
- Now, enter the following path in the address bar of the Registry Editor-
-
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
-
- Here, double-click onย the EnableGoodbyย option to make changes to it.
- Under theย Value Dataย option, enterย 1ย and click onย OK.
- Now, close the Registry Editor and restart your system.ย
10. Reset PC
Still, facing issues with the dynamic Lock? If Dynamic Lock is not working on Windows 11, it can be due to third-party apps installed on your system, recent Windows updates, misconfigured settings, etc. You can reset your PC to revert your system to the factory default version and fix this issue.ย
- Open theย Start Menu, typeย Reset this PC, and pressย Enter.
- Next, click on theย Reset PCย button.
- Select theย Remove Everythingย option if you want to remove all the files and apps from your PC. If you want to keep your files but delete the apps and settings you have done, click on theย Keep My Filesย option.
- Now, follow the instructions given to reset the PC.ย
- Once it has been done, you will have to set up your PC.ย
- After the setup, pair your phone to your PC through Bluetooth and turn on Dynamic Lock.ย
Bottom Line
Dynamic Lock is a useful feature, especially for those who work on their PCs in a co-working environment. However, if dynamic Lock is not working on your Windows 11 PC, the above guide should help you troubleshoot it.ย