How to Enable or Disable Ctrl+Alt+Delete Secure Sign-in on Lock Screen in Windows 11

What You Need

You need administrator privileges to change this setting. If you are signed in with a standard account, Windows will ask for an administrator’s password before it applies the change.

The change takes effect the next time the sign-in or lock screen appears. You do not need to restart. To test it, press Win+L to lock the PC and check whether Windows now asks for Ctrl+Alt+Del.

Option 1Use the User Accounts Tool

This is the quickest method, and it works in both Windows 11 Home and Pro.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run box, type netplwiz, and press Enter. The User Accounts window opens. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes.
2. Click the Advanced tab. You will see a Secure sign-in section at the bottom.
3. Check the box next to Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Del to turn secure sign-in on. Uncheck it to turn it off.
4. Click OK. The window closes and the new setting is saved.

To undo the change, repeat the steps and set the box back the way it was.

Option 2Use Local Security Policy

Local Security Policy is only available in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Windows 11 Home does not include it, so Home users should use Netplwiz or the registry method instead. This built-in administrative console lets you change security settings that the standard Settings app does not expose.

Be careful with the wording of this policy. It is a "do not require" setting, so it works the opposite way from what you might expect. Enabled means Ctrl+Alt+Delete is not required. Disabled means it is required.

1. ⚙️ Admin Required: Open Local Security Policy by typing secpol.msc in your search bar and pressing Enter. The Local Security Policy window opens.
2. In the left pane, expand Local Policies, then click Security Options. A long list of policies appears in the right pane.
3. In the right pane, double-click Interactive Logon: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL. A properties window opens.
4. Select Enabled to turn off secure sign-in. Select Disabled to turn it on.
5. Click OK. The new value now shows next to the policy in the list.
6. Close Local Security Policy if you want.

To undo the change, open the same policy and pick the other option. If the policy is controlled by your organization, a domain Group Policy may overwrite your choice the next time it refreshes.

Option 3Use the Registry

⚙️ Admin Required: The Windows Registry is a more advanced system area. Proceed with caution, as incorrect changes can sometimes lead to problems. Before you edit anything, export the key you are about to change or create a restore point, so you can go back if something goes wrong.

To Turn On Secure Sign-in

Secure sign-in makes you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete before you can type your password. That stops malicious apps from faking the login screen. Turning it on adds an extra layer of protection, because only Windows itself can respond to that key combination. You can enable it by updating a registry value, or through the security settings described earlier.

Apply the registry value shown below with Registry Editor. Once it is saved, lock the PC with Windows key + L to confirm the prompt appears. If it does not, sign out and back in, or restart the PC.

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" /v DisableCAD /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" /v DisableCAD /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v DisableCAD /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v DisableCAD /f

To Turn Off Secure Sign-in

Turning off secure sign-in lets you sign in right away without pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete first. Removing that keystroke gets you to your desktop a little faster when you start the PC. You can turn it off by changing a registry key or by using the account and policy settings above.

On a shared or work computer, think twice before you do this, because you lose the protection against fake login screens. On a personal PC that nobody else uses, leaving it off is a common choice.

Set the entry:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" /v DisableCAD /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" /v DisableCAD /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v DisableCAD /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v DisableCAD /f

Summary

To sum up, you can control this feature through the User Accounts tool, Local Security Policy, or the Windows Registry, depending on your edition of Windows. Netplwiz works on every edition. Local Security Policy needs Pro or higher. The registry works everywhere but needs the most care. Whichever you choose, the change applies the next time the sign-in screen appears, and you can reverse it at any time with the opposite setting.