Windows is a very capable operating system, but it is not perfect which can cause problems for you and your computer. In this article, we will discuss some of the Windows errors and how to fix them.
Symptoms of this Windows error
If you cant log in your user account and the following Windows Error message returned:
“The referenced account is currently locked out and may not be logged on to.“
Causes of this Windows error
This Windows error occurs when you failed to input the correct password on several times so the system locked the account and prevented the user from logging in for a period of time.
Methods to Resolve this Windows error
For Standard users
Simply wait for 30 minutes since this is the default wait time if it was not changed by the administrators although for some it may last for up to 24 hours. You may contact your IT Support Helpdesk and provide the error “The Referenced Account Is Currently Locked Out”.
For the system administrators
Local Group Policy Editor:
- First go to the Local Group Policy Editor by typing gpedit.msc in the windows search box or in the windows run then press enter.
- Next is to navigate to the Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies then Account Lockout Policy
- Double click the Account lockout threshold policy and change the value of the invalid logon attempts to 0. Then press OK to save the changes.
- You must restart the machine and try to log in as the locked user.
Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/troubleshoot/access-management/error-135011-activate-m365-apps
Active Directory:
- First go to the Active Directory Users and Computers.
- Select the locked user account then right click and select the Properties.
- In the properties window, click on the Account tab.
- Select the Unlock account.
- Press the Apply and OK to unlock the account.
Final Thoughts
Given that Microsoft Windows is such a popular product, it’s no surprise that there are some bugs and glitches. You can resolve the error “The Referenced Account Is Currently Locked Out” by following the above steps. Go through the steps and let us know which method helped you resolve the issue in the comments.
