Current Status:
Issue: Windows Systems Unexpectedly Locking at 12:01pm local time every day regardless of if the computer is in active use or not
Problem Alert: Alert created on 6/30/2025. Master Inc: INC000008944668
Root Cause: Unknown; Investigating
Models Impacted: No specific model determined beyond “These seem to all be Dell computers”.
Agencies Impacted: All agencies
Locations: Multiple locations, impacting remote and office locations
Impact: 71 tickets associated with Master INC. Likely several hundred systems impacted. Issue occurs around lunch so could be going unnoticed.
Severity: Initially low/moderate, however this is now impacting NRE fire operations. When this occurs, customers must resign into most dispatch applications that run through FamAuth. NRE has had resources in the air and on the ground responding when this incident has happened each day and it delays their ability to continue smooth and safe dispatching.
Next Steps: Pull together troubleshooting call. Identify machines that are actively having the issue. Determine if problem can be reproduced. Distribute Customer Service Notification (CSN).
Active Troubleshooting
• Confirmed Power/Sleep options aren’t set to trigger. Manual change to *something else* typically “never when plugged in” is tried. Choice doesn’t seem to make a difference.
• Checked Task scheduler, to see if anything might be triggering the event.
• Confirmed all updates performed
• SFC/DISM/Chkdsk scans complete with reboots.
• Repaired ActivClient
• Reinstalled ActivClient then reboot (sometimes repairs the computer for a few days before the issue returns).
• Reinstalled SmartCard drivers from Dell
• Removed SmartCard reader from device manager, marking the “uninstall the driver” box. Rescan. Remove again. Rescan. Reinstall No difference between generic windows driver vs Dell Driver.
• Tested with PIV card inserted in internal card reader and external card reader
• Reviewed Dell Command Update history
• Reviewed Event logs
• Reviewed SCCM client activity. No indication that SCCM is causing the lock screen.
• Enabled verbose logging in ActivClient. Log indicates that ActivClient stops seeing the smart card for about a half second, which trips the policy for ‘smart card removal behavior’, which locks the computer.
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