How to Unlock an “OSD Lockout” Problem

This has most likely annoyed many of you at some point. You turn on your monitor one day and see a jeering message telling you something about an “OSD Lockout”. It doesn’t allow you to change any of your monitors settings, including the setting intended to turn off this message. While I’ve only seen this error on HP monitors I know that others have encountered it on other brands as well. The fixes I provide should work on those monitors too. (Note: OSD stands for On Screen Display.)

Fix One:

Plug in the monitor and power it up. Hold down the Power button until you get a message saying “OSD Unlocked”. If the problem persists after OSD is unlocked then unplug the monitor from the wall, wait 20 seconds and try again.

Fix Two:

Turn on the monitor and hold down the Menu button for 10-20 seconds. This should unlock the OSD.

Fix Three:

Turn off the monitor, press down the Menu button and then turn on the monitor. Wait 10-20 seconds. This should unlock the OSD.

Fix Four:

The Menu button may be stuck in a pressed in position. To get it “unstuck” you’ll usually need to open up the monitor. This could be tricky unless you know what you’re doing. Unfortunately there are too many models of monitor for me to provide detailed instructions. If you have warranty this is where you want to contact the manufacturer.

If you know of any other fixes feel free to contact me. Good luck!

176 thoughts on “How to Unlock an “OSD Lockout” Problem”

  3. Method 2 worked like a charm. I am glad that this page exists since all the other advice to fix this problem didn’t work. And i was not about to open up my monitor.

    worked on refurbished HP w2207

  5. bruce: These are all the suggestions I have at the moment. Perhaps you should call HP or bring your monitor to a technician?

  6. Does the OSD have anything to with my sound going out? The – and + on the monitor do not work and my speakers are in my monitor. when I turn the osd off like in step number 2 the volume control screen for the monitor stays on my screen. I can’t get the sound to come back on. It is not my comptuer because when I plug headphones I get sound, It’s something with the monitor. any suggestions?

  9. I have tried everything. I keep getting the OSD Locked box flashing non stop.

  16. Make sure the menu button is not stuck down. If you get a chance try calling HP and report back if they have any new suggestions that work.

  17. I have tried all the numerous attempts that HP have stated to fix problem, have used all the solutions here also, nothing seems to work. At times can’t even use the buttons at all. Any other suggestions? Can not afford to buy a new one at this time, currently have the HP f2105 hd flat panel wide screen

  18. Well, I spent nearly 3 days with HP support telling me pretty much the same things as in the books and research on the internet, mechanical failure, buy a new one. When I do I will purchase something with a warranty much longer than HP’s for sure.

  19. Sometimes an extended warranty works out, sometimes it does not.

    I would look at it this way: an extended warranty is about $60 on a monitor. You did not buy a warranty so you now have $60 to spend on a brand new monitor. I would recommend going with Samsung. They are reliable and come with 3 Year Warranties.

  20. The OSD lockout display disappear on mine when I press the menu for 10-20 secs but when I release it. It will come back again… :(

  22. thank you so much i couldnt turn up or down my volume and now i can on my Hpvs17e i was getting scared for a sec XD

  23. Fix Four worked: Break (!) open the lower part of monitor plastic frame, and CUT the 4 wires: Green, Yellow, Orange and Red (i.e. ‘Auto’, ‘Menu’, ‘-‘ and ‘+’ buttons). Its a tough fix, and the casing is not pretty any more, BUT: The monitor seems to work as a monitor without any annoying OSD popups:-) And the on/off botton is still active :-) Happy little me, now back to the PhD…

  25. These did not work for the CTL 7tx monitor. Buttons are not stuck (thankfully i was able to put the monitor back together), and there is no menu button. OSD Lock Out screen still present. It’s intermittent at best. Comes on for anywhere from 3 seconds to several minutes and sometimes goes away for 5-15 seconds, but it always comes back. Flashes intermittently too.

  26. This the ONLY solution in many cases with this HP monitors (almost garbage). I found it in other blog and works. I tried many methods and finally I solved my problem following this solution.

    Author: wookie319

    I know you said there were others that had the same problem with the Main Menu coming up and I thought I would tell you what I did to fix the problem.

    1. I shut down the PC.
    2. I removed the power cable and video cable from the back of the monitor.
    3. I removed the four screws that hold the stand for the monitor and slid the stand off.
    4. I then removed the 5 screws that hold the back cover on the monitor.
    5. I took two flat blade screw drivers and carefully removed the back cover.

    At the bottom of the monitor case, there is a small circuit board the holds the 6 switches for controlling the display.

    6. I located the button that calls up the Main Menu. It is the second switch from the left as you are looking at the monitor from the rear.
    7. I used a small solder iron and heated up the four prongs in sequence while holding the switch with a pair of needle nose pliers. I had to rotate this process from one prong to the other while all the time applying slight pulling pressure on the switch pulling it away from the circuit board.
    8. Once the switch was removed, I put the cover back on and tightened up the five screws.
    9. Then I slid the base back in the slot it came from and tightened the four screws.
    10. I connected the video and power cable and turned on the PC.

    With the switch removed the Main Menu never popped up again and I am so very happy.
    www,artycan.com

  29. Hey, thanks for the help! We often have that OSD lockout issue and needed more possible resolutions! These are very helpful!

  31. my monitor’s osd continuosly becomes on and off.i cant turn off the monitor and the switches is not working

  32. I cannot thank you enough for this information. I spent four hours today trying to get the OSD Lockout out of my life! Thank you, thank you!

  36. I have Windows 7 flast screen or whatever its called, basically the monitor (the part with the screen on it, right?) isn’t a big one; kind of like a flat screen TV. On the side there are four buttons, the top one is what I believe is the Menu Button because I use to be able to push it then a list of things to do would show up on the computer screen. Below that are two Up and Down Arrow BUttons which generally seemed to be the lock and unlock buttons or atleast I think they were because I would constantly have to drag my finger across the whole row of buttons to cause the OSD to unlock. The button button I think is the Power Button because when I push it the monitor shuts off (screen goes black, lights turn off, but the website I was on stays up). They are touch buttons, very sensitive to touch unlike the buttons on the keyboard or other monitors. The top three buttons (not the power button) cause the OSD Locked message to show up when I touch them. I have found numerous things online and this site seems to be the most informative. I have tried numerous things including what you suggested, pretty much what you suggest. I even unplugged the entire computer from the wall and tried shutting the tower down (power button on the tower (where the motherboard etc. is). I really don’t want to try taking the monitor apart even with CORRECT INSTRUCTIONS for the fear of messing things up unless it so simple that a monkey could do it without causing any damage to the computer.

  37. By the problem is that my screen, not the computer screen itself but whatever is showing up on the screen (background etc.) is slightly slanted to the left (yes, you heard me right!). It leaves about half and inch of black screen on the right while that same length of screen on the left is hidden out of sight. I can still access it but I have I can’t see it and thats becoming a problem. The OSD unlock usually fixed this but as I said in my first comment, above, that the OSD won’t unlock.

  40. i got hp 2009m and i kept getting that osd lockout in the middle of the screen i tryied everything to get it off and reasearch it really good after i cut the monitor on i held the power button in and stuck a thumbable push pin up in the middle of the power button to keep the button push in guess what it work i have not had that osd screen again seems like to me hp could have figured out what the problem was and replaced all of these guess they didnt care so if u ever buy a hp i guess anything reseach it before u buy because they wont tell us they are faulty so everyone knows whats wrong with urs it was mine

  41. OSD Lock Function: To lock the OSD, press and hold the Left button while the monitor is off and then press power button to turn the monitor on. To un-lock the OSD – press and hold the Left button while the monitor is off and then press power button to turn the monitor on.

  42. For the last 3 days ave been experiencing OSD lockout on one of my users machine.
    Most of the suggestions did not help.

    All i did was to change the screen resolution and it worked.

    Try it, Goodluck

  43. ohhhhhhhhh great dear i have l.c.d his o.s.d locked but i don’t know how to unlock this i use this last 2 year but today i m see thefakegeek it’s solve my problum keep it up i m very happy thnks very much……………..

  45. Thank you so muuuch! I’ve been looking for a way to unlock it for so long! No idea how Happy i am right now. thank you thank youuu!!

  47. This OSD lockout problem “SUCKS” and HP customer service “SUCKS” I did everything including unsoldering and removing the menu switch. Nothing works!

  48. Seems there is a product defect with HP monitors. I think we need to start a class action against “HP” to replace or repair this problem.
    ontact me to start this action: Pa.ghostmtman1@yahoo.com

  50. Man, you are the BEST!! I thought it was a mainboard issue when it started doing the OSD locked thing.

    May your home always be a garrison of laughing children!

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