problem with not requiring p/w on wake up

I want my computer set so that once the screen saver comes on, you must have a password to get back in from that point foreward. Basically, I want it locked after the 3 minutes of inactivity. Or, if I manually lock the computer, from that point on until it is unlocked.

Turns out, this is not such a simple task.

First, I simply check the "on resume, display logon screen" thinking that is what I need.

No, then, the minute the monitor goes to sleep, I can resume without needing a password. Ok... Soo...

Then I set it so that it requires a password at wakeup as well.

Here is the problem... At seemingly random times, it does NOT ask for a password when I wake up... So far I haven't been able to narrow down wether or not it's just for the screensaver, the monitor, the computer, or a combination. Also, I'm pretty sure that it never locks right when the screen saver comes on, it's several seconds after, every time.

It shouldn't matter if there is a program or something running, should it?

Another question I have is this... if I have something like my virus scan set to run at a certain time, and the computer is asleep, will it wake up to run the scan?

I have Vista Home Premium.. I really hope someone can answer at least some of my questions. It bothers me to not be able to know wether or not my computer is locked.

If this will require completely disabling sleep, so be it, but I want to be able to know for sure and not have to worry about this.

 

Now the screen saver does not come on at all... It is set to 1 minute.

 

I'm no Vista expert, but I know that there's a few different places where sleep, hibernation, and screen savers can be enabled/disabled. I think there's an Advanced setting in the power options somewhere if I'm not mistaken. Hopefully someone else more versed in Vista will come along and shed more light on this for you. I had the opposite problem on a friends laptop a couple weeks ago: it was going into standby and we couldn't seem to disable it until I found the Advanced options....

 

Ok, thanks for the help. I think I know what was happening... but I'm not sure.