Every time I try to google this or search a forum I'm not really getting what I'm looking for... instead searches yield: "missing logins from boot" or "how to disable Lock screen" which is NOT my issue.

Running Kubuntu 20.04.3, I've had little to no problems until now, and usually nothing I cannot fix. Except this one:

So this started happening last week, and I've no idea why, to my knowledge I've installed no additional software and made no system changes, edits to config files or such. Other than my usual and routine "sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y" and errata needing updates from within Discover app.

When my lock screen kicks in (I always keep it set to 3 mins) or if I initiate it manually using the super key and l, it matters not, it goes to my lock screen pic, but for reasons I cannot decipher, there is never a login window, nothing more than the image, no keys seem to do anything at all, and all i can do is ctrl, alt, F2 (or any other session) and login there and run startx. for now I have disabled the lock screen, but living in the environment i do, and dealing with sensitive client data, I rely on the lock screen every time i get up and leave my computer. gotta CYA you know?

KDE has been fun, and I love the customization, but there's been a plethora of glitchy things like this that I find I'm always fixing as soon as i change one setting elsewhere, or if i change my theme etc and hit apply next time i login after a shutdown it's reverted back, or icons i have removed from desktop (that should not exist because I switched it in settings from folder view to DESKTOP) are back again....

I LIKE the customization, but I don't NEED it.... Gnome was functional if not outright fugly, as is xfce...

I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks guys.