Automatically Logout after n minutes of inactivity?

[jgoodman00]

We have a workstation which is often left unattended. It appears other people are using the computer during this time. I want to be able to automatically logout a user if the computer is left unattended for a specified amount of time. I believe windows NT had a screensaver (winexit.scr), which did this. However, I cannot find this screensaver anywhere. Nor can I find anything similar.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to resolve this??? James Goodman

 

[Sithl0rd]

You can set a Win2k Group Policy to do this. This can be set, depending on how your network is setup. It is either done locally or at the active directory level.

 

[jgoodman00]

could you give more details of how this is set please.... James Goodman

 

[ChrisHirst]

Hi James,
I don't think you can set a 'log-off after idle time' but
if you set any screensaver with a password in Win2k, it does not log out the user but locks the workstation to the last logged in username.

Chris

 

[jgoodman00]

Unfortunately that wont help, because several people use the computer. What keeps happening, is they login under one username & all use it. They are running a database which tracks use by their login name. Hence it is imperitive they login by their own usernames... James Goodman

 

[NcCorduan]

John --

Here's how to take care of this from a GPO stand-pont in the AD. Within the group policy follow the following path:

Computer Configuration
Windows Settings
Security Settings
Local Policies
Security Options

The policy you're looking for is near the top and it's called Amount of idle time required before disconnecting session.

Hope this helps!

NickC---

 

[jgoodman00]

I have found this before. Because the machine is a standalone, this does not help. The only solution I can see is to forcefully logout the computer if it is left idle.

It seems a little strange windows does not have this as a built in function...


Any more ideas? James Goodman

 

[NcCorduan]

James,

Sorry, I hadn't caught that it was a standalone machine. Have you thoroughly investigated the options in the Local Security Policy snap-in in the MMC on that machine? I'm on an XP machine so I can't check immediately, but I do know that many of the options on the group policy are available at the local level through the Microsoft Management Console...

 

[jgoodman00]

I have looked through this fairly thoroughly, but seemingly with no success. I have been reading about it on the web. The most common method seems to be using a screensaver which can log a user out. Apparently Windows NT had a screensaver (logout.scr or something similar) which would log the user out of the computer if they were idle for a specified amount of time. This appears to have disappeared in Windows 2000, & I cannot find it anywhere on the web...


James Goodman

 

[DrMaggie]

jgoodman00:

I don't have a Win2k system in front of me right now, so I can't test if this works, but there is screensaver called "Auto-Logout Screen Saver" available from

http://www.winsite.com/games/ssavers/page28.html

which may suit your needs...

BTW, I found this by simply searching for "screensaver logout" at Google - maybe you can find some other better solution this way?

Let us know if it solves your problem!

DrMaggie ---------
"Those who don't know the mistakes of the past won't be able to enjoy it when they make them again in the future."
— Leonard McCoy, MD (in Diane Duane's Doctor's Orders)

 

[DanielKBates]

Nick C Wrote......

"Here's how to take care of this from a GPO stand-pont in the AD. Within the group policy follow the following path:

Computer Configuration
Windows Settings
Security Settings
Local Policies
Security Options

The policy you're looking for is near the top and it's called Amount of idle time required before disconnecting session.

Hope this helps!

NickC---"

I have tried this in domain policy settings on my serverand thought i had it set up properly to auto logout users from my domain. I've set the Amount of idle time required before disconnecting session to 5 to test it and enabled the auto logout in the same snap in but its not working. Do I need to do anything anywhere else? i.e in group policy or anything.

Dan