Error In User32.dll Missing Entry Lockworkstation

If you are trying to lock your workstation remotely using the command rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation, you may encounter an error message that says "Error in user32.dll Missing entry: LockWorkStation". This error means that the function LockWorkStation is not found in the user32.dll file, which is a system file that contains graphical elements and functions for Windows. This article will explain why this error occurs and how to fix it.

Why does this error occur?

The reason why this error occurs is because the function LockWorkStation is not exported by the user32.dll file. Exporting a function means making it available for other programs or processes to call. The user32.dll file exports many functions, but not all of them. You can check which functions are exported by using a tool like Dumpbin.exe, which is included in the Visual Studio suite. If you run Dumpbin.exe /exports user32.dll, you will see a list of exported functions, but LockWorkStation is not among them.

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The reason why LockWorkStation is not exported is because it is an internal function that is only meant to be used by the system itself, not by external programs or processes. The rundll32.exe program, which is used to run functions from DLL files, can only run exported functions. Therefore, when you try to run rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation, it fails to find the function and returns an error.

How to fix this error?

There are several ways to fix this error, depending on your goal and situation. Here are some possible solutions:

If you want to lock your workstation locally, you can use the keyboard shortcut Windows+L, which calls the LockWorkStation function internally without using rundll32.exe.

If you want to lock your workstation remotely, you can use a different command or tool that can interact with the logged on user session. For example, you can use the tsdiscon.exe program, which is included in Windows and can disconnect a remote desktop session. The command tsdiscon.exe console /server:computername will lock the console session of the remote computer. You can also use third-party tools like PSTOOLS, which includes a program called PSSHUTDOWN that can lock a remote workstation. The command psshutdown \\\\computername -l will lock the remote computer.

If you want to lock all workstations on your domain instantly, you can use a group policy or a script that can run the commands or tools mentioned above on multiple computers at once. For example, you can use the Group Policy Management Console to create a policy that runs a startup script on all computers in an organizational unit. The script can contain the commands or tools to lock the workstations. You can also use tools like PowerShell or WMIC to run commands or scripts on multiple computers remotely.

Conclusion

The error in user32.dll missing entry LockWorkStation occurs when you try to run the function LockWorkStation from the user32.dll file using rundll32.exe. This function is not exported by the user32.dll file and cannot be run by external programs or processes. To fix this error, you need to use a different command or tool that can lock your workstation locally or remotely. You can also use group policies or scripts to lock multiple workstations at once.

I hope this article was helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below.

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