Outsmarting Corporate Screen Lockout Policies (The PowerShell Way)

We’ve all been there: you're running a critical presentation, monitoring a slow process, or, let’s be honest, you just need your Microsoft Teams/Lync status to stay "Available" while you step away for a moment. Suddenly, the corporate screen lockout policy kicks in, and you’re staring at a login screen. Annoying, right?

Most organizations use Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to enforce these security settings for a good reason—preventing unauthorized access to idle computers. But sometimes, these strict policies interfere with legitimate tasks.

The Problem: GPO Overrides Need Admin Rights

The typical way to override GPO settings, such as changing the screen idle timeout, requires local administrator rights. In most large enterprises, getting those elevated privileges is either impossible or involves a mountain of paperwork.

So, how do you prevent your screen from timing out without needing to escalate your permissions?

The Solution: The "Ghost Key Press" PowerShell Trick

The answer is simple: simulate user activity. If the operating system detects a key press or mouse movement, it resets the idle timer, thus preventing the lockout.

You can achieve this reliably and quietly using a simple PowerShell script that simulates a key press at set intervals.

The PowerShell Keeper Script

This short, elegant script keeps your session active by subtly sending the Scroll Lock key signal to your system every 60 seconds.

PowerShell

$WShell = New-Object -Com Wscript.Shell
while (1) {$WShell.SendKeys("{SCROLLLOCK}"); sleep 60}

How It Works:

1. $WShell = New-Object -Com Wscript.Shell: This creates an object that allows your script to interact with the Windows environment, specifically to send keyboard input.

2. while (1): This creates an infinite loop, ensuring the script runs continuously until you stop it.

3. $WShell.SendKeys("{SCROLLLOCK}"): This is the core command. It simulates pressing the Scroll Lock key. The Scroll Lock key is ideal because pressing it typically has no visible side effects or unwanted input on the screen, unlike sending a space bar or a letter.

4. sleep 60: This pauses the script for 60 seconds before the loop runs again and sends the next key press. You can adjust this number based on your organization's lockout policy (e.g., if the screen locks after 5 minutes, setting sleep 120 seconds might be sufficient).

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Pro-Tips for Deployment

1. Running the Script Manually (The Easiest Way)

In many enterprise environments, security GPOs prevent the execution of saved PowerShell script files (.ps1). If you face this restriction, simply:

1. Open the PowerShell console (search for PowerShell).

2. Copy and paste the three-line code above directly into the console.

3. Press Enter.

The script will begin running immediately in that console window. To stop it, simply press Ctrl + C in the console window.

2. Automating the Start (If Allowed)

If your corporate policy does allow PowerShell execution, you can save the code as a .ps1 file and set up a Scheduled Task to automatically trigger it when your system boots up. This is the ultimate "set it and forget it" solution.

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Want to Use a Different Key?

While Scroll Lock is recommended, you might need to use a different key based on specific software interactions. The SendKeys method supports a variety of special keys.

Key Name	Code to Use in Script
Enter	{ENTER} or ~
Tab	{TAB}
Space	(a single space)
Up Arrow	{UP}
Down Arrow	{DOWN}
F5	{F5}

For a complete reference on all available SendKeys codes, you can check the extensive SS64 documentation.

Key/Character	SendKey	Description
~	{~}	Send a tilde (~)
!	{!}	Send an exclamation point (!)
^	{^}	Send a caret (^)
+	{+}	Send a plus sign (+)
Backspace	{BACKSPACE} or {BKSP} or {BS}	Send a Backspace keystroke
Break	{BREAK}	Send a Break keystroke
Caps Lock	{CAPSLOCK}	Press the Caps Lock Key (toggle on or off)
Clear	{CLEAR}	Clear the field
Delete	{DELETE} or {DEL}	Send a Delete keystroke
Insert	{INSERT} or {INS}	Send an Insert keystroke
Cursor control arrows	{LEFT} / {RIGHT} / {UP} / {DOWN}	Send a Left/Right/Up/Down Arrow
End	{END}	Send an End keystroke
Enter	{ENTER} or ~	Send an Enter keystroke
Escape	{ESCAPE}	Send an Esc keystroke
F1 through F16	{F1} through {F16}	Send a Function keystroke
Help	{HELP}	Send a Help keystroke
Home	{HOME}	Send a Home keystroke
Numlock	{NUMLOCK}	Send a Num Lock keystroke
Page Down Page Up	{PGDN} {PGUP}	Send a Page Down or Page Up keystroke
Print Screen	{PRTSC}	Send a Print Screen keystroke
Scroll lock	{SCROLLLOCK}	Press the Scroll lock Key (toggle on or off)
TAB	{TAB}	Send a TAB keystroke