Monitor Sleep Mode _ Stays Awake GPO Transitions

MIS Department Policy & Procedure 

Description

We have a small group of computers that may need to be removed from our default settings, which include enforcement of sleeping the monitor after 15 minutes (GPO: Deploy Power Plan (Monitor Sleeps)) and forcing the computer to lock after 15 minutes of inactivity (GPO: Enable 15 Minute Inactivity Lock).  See the Outlier Computer List for examples.  This document explains how to transition a computer out of these groups.

Instructions

1. Remove the computer from the AD Group “Deploy Power Plan (Monitor Sleeps)”

2. Remove the computer from the AD Group “Enable 15 Minute Inactivity Lock”

3. If you want to force the computer to keep the monitor on all the time, add the computer to the AD Group “Deploy Power Plan (Monitor Stays Awake)”

4. These changes will not take effect until the computer is rebooted.  Reboot the computer.

5. Because the 15 minute activity lock persists even through the group policy change, we need to change the local group policy.

   1. Once the computer is rebooted, log in using an administrator account.

   2. Go into the Local Group Policy (gpedit.msc) as administrator

   3. Navigate to Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options -> Interactive logon: Machine inactivity limit and change the setting to 0 seconds.

6. To change a computer back to our domain default settings, reverse steps 1-4.