Run NETPLWIZ and uncheck the box.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/mobile-devices/f/4586/p/19593325/20661625.aspx#20661625

Thanks very much Jeff, it worked like a charm.  :)

Hmmm...

It seems I spoke too soon.

Computers seem to have a mind/personality all their own.  :(

After having my tablet switched into sleep mode for about an hour or so I plugged it in to charge and which screen greeted me when the light came on?

You guessed it. The screen lock screen.  :(

Hmmm.. any ideas now?

That is a different setting.

Go to charms, Settings, Change PC settings, Accounts, Sign in options. It's under Password Policy.

Thanks for helping out Igetthis!

I am still having problems with this.

Allow me to explain in more detail what is happening.

I tried to go into the settings you mentioned above but when I got to the 'Sign in' options it told me I have no password and needed to set one before I could go in and make any other changes.

I take that to mean it is set correctly for what I want.

Now to be very clear, there are two screens that can come up when I hit the On button on the side of the unit.

1. There is a screen where you would sign in with a password (if you have one set).
2. There is a screen that is like a screen-saver, showing the date/time, that you would swipe.

The second screen is not coming up.
If a screen comes up now, it is the first (the password screen).

Despite setting "No password" using the instructions given previously in this post, I am still getting the Lock screen (password screen) when I press the power button on the side.
When I powered on for the first time today from a shutdown (after charging overnight) the screen booted right into my desktop, perfectly.

Then after I hit the power button to turn the unit off for about 30 minutes and hit it again to power on,
I got the password screen. It showed my username and right below it said "Locked".

If I tap on the image of a man above the username, I get into my desktop (no password required of course).

Once I am in the desktop and hit the power button, the unit will turn off and hitting the power button will take me into the desktop again without the Lock screen presenting itself.

But it is inconsistent. I hope you now understand what I am saying and have a solution for this.

Thanks!

If I understand you correctly you did not set the setting under sign in options because it requires you to set a password. That's is why you don't get the second screen you descripted.

Seriously said. I would encourage you to set a password. Unless you specific disabled it, Windows 8 uses as default OneDrive to store some of your data and settings (e.g. IE). Without a password everyone would have access.

By using the descriptions given here you can set that you don't need to provide a password during logon and what I explained was that you don't need to provide a password after waking up from sleep.

Everything would work the way you want with just setting a password.

Another option that might work but haven't tried it yet is in control panel power management.
Control Panel (Change View By from Category to Large icons), Power Options, Change Plan settings, Change Advanced Power settings, select Change Power options currently unavailable.
Mow you see Require a password on wakeup (at least I hope because you did not set one)

What should be very simple is actually quite complicated.  :)

Before I get to what you wrote let me fill you in with my latest.

As a test I performed the following:
-I shutdown.
-I started up. It went right into desktop. (PERFECT)
-I hit the power button to put it in sleep mode.
-I hit the power button again (after 15 minute wait) and it showed...

A coloured splash screen with
time: 5:12
date: Monday, 11 August
and Airplane mode and battery icons below that

(this was what I had referred to in my previous post as the 'screen saver' screen)
It usually doesn't show, but this time it did!!!

When I swiped it I could very briefly see the login screen, but it was bypassed and I went directly into the desktop.

I repeated the above and got the same results again.

I hope what I described makes sense to all.

re: your post above. I still haven't set a password. I will if I need to, to straighten this mess out.
I did go into Change Power options settings and *Disabled* Password required on both battery and power adapter.

I'm still not there yet....  :(

I set up a password.

I don't see Password Policy that you mention above.

Only:

Password:

Picture password:

PIN:

That's it!   Thanks.