Windows 10 Login - I have to Disconnect WiFi

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My company seems to have decided I might as well keep my old work laptop - having left the company 9months ago and had all access to company networks and resources removed.

However when I go to login to Windows (Windows 10) - I have to Disconnect WiFi otherwise I get an Incorrect Password message. If I disconnect WiFi before entering my Windows password I login successfully - and then connect my WiFi.

I am assuming that this is because something on the laptop is attempting to connect to the company network and is being rejected or there is a company policy set up om the laptop that requires some form of wifi check. I have no idea - but it may be associated with zscaler which I believe my company has installed on the laptop to monitor network and internet usage to be in accordance with company policy

But clearly there is something associated with WiFi connectivity that blocks my Windows login that goes away when I disconnect prior to login...

It's not a big hassle but would be handy if I didn't have to do it.

 

[jim8flog]

How to Delete Network Settings

1. Open Settings.
2. Locate and tap Wi-Fi.
3. Long press the network you want to forget.
4. When prompted, tap Forget Network

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

How to Delete Network Settings

1. Open Settings.
2. Locate and tap Wi-Fi.
3. Long press the network you want to forget.
4. When prompted, tap Forget Network

That sounds like what I'd do if it was trying to connect to a company wifi network - but the one I disconnect to login is my home wifi and I dont want my laptop to forget about that one But I've had a look to see if there are any work networks I can get it to forget - and only networks available are home and neighbours.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Sounds like something is in the registry to start up when the laptop is started. It is most likley the remains of the software that was deleted, but not fully.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Sounds like something is in the registry to start up when the laptop is started. It is most likley the remains of the software that was deleted, but not fully.

I‘ve not had anything deleted or removed…it’s exactly as it was the day I finished…so for instance nothing of MS Office 365 works as it will require access to company account etc.

I cleared the laptop down of all of my information so could just try and reset it to factory settings but when I looked to try and do that it looked like I needed Admin Rights, and that was all greyed out as I didn’t.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Well…after a bit of a play I think everything on the laptop is locked down - can’t do anything without Admin access and I can’t get that. So for instance tried installing some free ‘office’ software, but no, admin access required. Ho hum. What a waste of a half decent laptop.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Do you have the operating software disk/license number?
If you do, a full reformat would solve everything.
Obvsiouly being a work supplied device, many of the permissions have been diminished to stop an employee screwing it up

 

[williamalex1]

I had to pay £24.99 for a windows 10 activation code.

 

[SaintHacker]

Insatll a fresh copy of Win10? You can download it quite legally from Microsoft, and you don't actually have to activate it, it will still work perfectly well, you just a very faint message in the bottom corner of your screen asking you to activate it.

 

[Foxholer]

Slight variation on the Settings method....
Selecting Settings > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. In the list of network connections that opens, you may be set to the (now defunct) work one. If that's the case, Double click on your home WiFi.
Not sure whether that'll make any difference at all. If it doesn't, then a reinstall of Windows 10 would seem the most likely way to kludge things. Oh and a backup of important files is always recommended before such activity!

 

[jim8flog]

Well…after a bit of a play I think everything on the laptop is locked down - can’t do anything without Admin access and I can’t get that. So for instance tried installing some free ‘office’ software, but no, admin access required. Ho hum. What a waste of a half decent laptop.

If you have locked yourself out of windows you will need to do a reinstall/repair as the simplest option (the former will give you admin rights). If it has a DVD you need a boot cd if not a boot USB stick. If the bios has not been set to boot from either you will need to get in to the bios and change the boot setting.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Without admin access, it’s a dead duck, I’d download w10 onto a usb stick ( on another PC) and see if the laptop will boot from that, if so you can reinstall from scratch

Alternative is to take it back to your old company and ask them to set you up as an admin user and to delete the current user profile

 

[bobmac]

Can you not just stay logged in?

 

[GreiginFife]

Much will depend on how good (or bad) the IT function is at your old place of work. A good IT function will have the laptop isolated as an endpoint access only. ZScaler is indeed your issue, it's gateway access security and means it will prevent your laptop from becoming a "general end point access device" for want of a better phrase.

There are two probable hurdles, boot from USB is almost certainly disabled if they had the foresight to install a gateway patrol, and (if there is a DVD drive) it will almost certainly be either removed as a bootable device or moved down the priority list of boot devices in BIOS. Second hurdle is that the BIOS will probably be locked out as well. You will maybe have access to change to a network boot.

If the IT function is poor then there is a possibility that BIOS isn't completely locked out and you can get access enough to change the boot order (it may still not allow you to boot from USB though).

Personally, I'd open the back up, swap out the hard drive for a fresh SSD or NVMe drive and reset the CMOS (which in turn should default the BIOS). But I'd only do that if the spec of the laptop made it worth keeping.

They don't spend as much on laptop security to make it simple to repurpose machines. (I say that as a general statement as I don't know who you worked for but with my current client, they are very, very good at IT security).

 

[Pants]

Warning! I'm not an IT guy but can't you just go Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC (After having saved all Documents elsewhere)?

 

[Foxholer]

...They don't spend as much on laptop security to make it simple to repurpose machines. (I say that as a general statement as I don't know who you worked for but with my current client, they are very, very good at IT security).

While understandable in some regards, overall that seems rather counter-intuitive!

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Warning! I'm not an IT guy but can't you just go Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC (After having saved all Documents elsewhere)?

Coz you need to be an Admin to execute that

 

[GreiginFife]

While understandable in some regards, overall that seems rather counter-intuitive!

Really? Ok then.

 

[Foxholer]

Really? Ok then.

Only because laptops are more likely to 'go astray' than in-house ones. That would suggest more/better 'protection' would be wanted.

 

[GreiginFife]

Only because laptops are more likely to 'go astray' than in-house ones. That would suggest more/better 'protection' would be wanted.

I have no idea what you are on about. I said above that they don’t spend as much money as they do to make it easy. That is to say that spending heavily on zscaler, bit lockers and boot safe is designed to make it difficult to repurpose a machine.