Windows
Sign-in error after locking a domain-joined laptop
After a password change, the laptop showed an error when trying to sign back in after the screen locked. The technician removed the laptop from the domain, re-added it, and confirmed the user could lock and sign in normally afterward.
Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2026-05-19.
Affects
Hardware
- laptop
What you see
- After the screen locks, signing back in shows an error message.
- A restart allows sign-in again.
Why it happens
Suspected Suspected domain trust relationship problem after the password change.
When it shows up
A domain-joined Windows laptop can still sign in after a reboot, but sign-in fails with an error after the machine is locked following a password change.
You are in this case if:
- The computer is joined to a domain.
- Locking the session triggers the sign-in problem.
- Restarting temporarily restores sign-in.
1 fix below
The steps that killed it
The steps are behind a quick check
There are two ways in and both take a few seconds. Signing in opens the steps on every bug page; so does reading the picture.
Or answer this
Drawing a picture for you.
Can't read it? Sign in instead.
Someone from XL.net killed this on a Windows computer on 2026-05-19. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.