Unexpected Screen Locking Issue on HP Laptop

[uaavi]

Hi HP Community,

About a month ago, I started noticing a strange issue with my HP laptop. While playing games with the charger plugged in, the screen would suddenly lock and take me back to the login screen. This typically happened when the laptop got slightly louder — I suspect it was under moderate load.

However, today the problem got worse. Now it locks the screen not only during medium workloads but also randomly — even just while browsing or doing light tasks. What's more, it's happening both with and without the charger connected.

I’ve already updated all drivers and used the OMEN to check diagnostics. The charger section was highlighted yellow, but there were no critical warnings reported.

For context, I bought this laptop in June last year and everything worked fine up until April this year. I should also mention that back in November, I accidentally dropped the laptop — the straps on my bag snapped all at once... not a good day. Luckily, the only visible damage was a slightly bent chassis, and the laptop continued to work normally for several months afterward.

I also want to ask: if the laptop was dropped once but never opened or tampered with (the lid has never been removed, and the device has never been taken apart), does the warranty still apply? I want to know if I can contact support or send it in without voiding the warranty.

I'd really appreciate any advice or guidance.

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,

Tsvihun Vitalii

[Max3Aj · Accepted solution]

@uaavi, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 

Here are some likely causes and steps you can take to troubleshoot the random screen locking issue:

Possible Causes

Power or Sleep Settings Misconfiguration
Even if you've set them to "Never," hidden settings like System Unattended Sleep Timeout can override them.

Screen Saver Settings
A screen saver with the "On resume, display logon screen" option enabled can cause this behavior.

Hardware Fault (e.g., Power Button or Charger Port)
A faulty power button or intermittent charger connection might trigger a lock or sleep event.
 

Thermal or Power Delivery Issues
Since the issue worsens under load and the charger diagnostic showed a yellow warning, it could be related to power delivery or overheating.

Post-Drop Internal Damage
Even if the laptop worked fine for months, internal components (like the motherboard or sensors) might have been weakened and are now failing under stress.

Recommended Fixes

Check Screen Saver Settings

• Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen > Screen Saver Settings
• Set screen saver to None
• Uncheck "On resume, display logon screen"

Adjust Hidden Power Settings

• Open Command Prompt as Admin and run:powercfg -attributes SUB_SLEEP STANDBYIDLE  -ATTRIB_HIDE
• Then go to Advanced Power Settings and set System Unattended Sleep Timeout to a high value or 0.

Run HP Hardware Diagnostics (Thorough)

• Boot into HP UEFI Diagnostics (press Esc > F2 at startup)
• Run System Extensive Test and Battery/Charger Test

Check Event Viewer Logs

• Look under Windows Logs > System for events around the time of the lock
• Look for entries like Kernel-Power, User32, or Power-Troubleshooter

BIOS & Firmware Update

• Make sure your BIOS is up to date via HP Support Assistant or HP’s website.

Thermal Monitoring

• Use tools like HWMonitor or CoreTemp to check if the CPU/GPU is overheating.

Since the laptop was dropped, it's important to note that accidental damage isn't covered under the standard warranty. Coverage for drops would only apply if you had previously purchased HP Accidental Damage Protection (ADP).

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support