Every modern user has a personal computer or laptop at his disposal. The advantage of the latter is its mobility, as there is no binding to one place in the office or at home, you can take the device for a walk or to conduct business activities, sitting in a cafe.
However, the mobility of a laptop poses a significant risk – a threat to data security. Certainly, any personal computer is subject to breaking and penetration to your personal information of extraneous persons, but at the laptop it is much higher. Therefore, it is important to take effective and reasonable care of protecting your device using passwords and locking mechanisms. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at how to set up a password on your computer and laptop for different versions of your operating systems and BIOS, and how to keep your data confidential about other people’s views.
How to set a password on a laptop
The purpose of setting a password on your laptop is to protect against unauthorized access through the network or directly by unauthorized subjects who wish to steal information or introduce a virus into programs.
Among the key advantages why it is important to block your laptop is the following:
- Only you can turn on your laptop, no one can use it without your knowledge;
- The Internet connection will be disconnected, so there is no threat of connection to untested or other networks that may be dangerous;
- You will not be afraid to leave important and sensitive information on your laptop and it will always be safe. Password setting is a responsible and important process, and the main rule here is key selection. An invented password should not be simple and should not consist of the same letters or numbers.
When you come up with a password on your PC for protection, never use such options:
- Date of birth;
- first and last name;
- pet name;
- home city/favorite city, country.
On the one hand, such passwords are very easy to crack, on the other hand, you disclose personal information about yourself. You should never do this, otherwise it will be too weak a protection.
Experts recommend setting a password for 7-14 characters, which includes uppercase letters, numbers and characters. By creating a password for your laptop, you can prevent intruders from entering your device
Setting a Windows login password
The easiest and most effective way to set a password is to block login to the operating system when a computer device is turned on or out of sleep mode. Of course, this protection is medium in terms of reliability, but still no one can use your device, for example, with windows XP, if you are away for a while.
Password on Windows 7
If you are using Windows 7, then the procedure for setting a password on a windows 7 computer will be as follows:
- Start – go to menu – Control Panel;
- Select Accounts and Security – Add and Remove Accounts;
- you will see all users on the screen. Select the account that you want the password for. This is usually your account, since you are the owner and sole user. If you have multiple accounts created, you can install security code for each account;
- run the Create Password command;
- enter the invented combination into the appropriate fields and save;
- Reboot the system for the password to be activated.
Now each time you turn on your windows 7 laptop or wake up from sleep mode, you will be prompted to enter a password.
Password on Windows 8 and 8.1
When using a computer device running windows 8 and 8.1, the password creation process will look like the following sneakers:
- hover the mouse pointer over the right edge of the desktop – a sliding menu will appear;
- Parameters – Change parameters – tab Users – Create password;
- in this case you can choose several types of encryption – graphic, simple, 4-digit PIN code;
- Select the option that suits you – Next;
- Confirm password creation – Done.
If you have done everything correctly, you will now be logged in with a password after turning off your notebook.
The second way to set a password on Windows 8.1 and 8 is to set a password:
- Start – Applications – Control Panel;
- Accounts and Family Security – Change the account type;
- Select your account – Create a password;
- come up with a code word and enter it in the corresponding fields – confirm Done.
Password on Windows 10
In windows 10, everything is different because of the updated interface and functionality. When you use the system for the first time, you are offered to install the security code at once. But it can be postponed for later.
To set a password to protect your laptop, follow these procedures:
- Start – Parameters – Accounts;
- select Settings – Change from the accounts;
- come up with a cipher, enter it in the field and confirm with the Done button.
The next time you turn on your notebook, the login will be protected by a password that you will need to enter to access the system and all files.
How to set a password in BIOS (more secure way)
Securing an operating system with a password is a good thing, but it’s far from being reliable, as skilled and experienced hackers can bypass even the most complex passwords. If you reinstall Windows, the attacker will have access to the unsecured files left on the laptop.
But there is also a solution to this problem – to put the code for the BIOS, then no one else can turn on the device without you.
BIOS is a key element of any computer device’s system support, organizing the work of all its components.
If you press one of the Delete, F1 or F2 keys in the first seconds of booting your notebook, you can get behind the scenes of your device. Here you can set a password on your hard drive so that no one can get to your personal files.
Setting the password in BIOS is as follows:
- enter the BIOS via the Delete, F1 or F2 button;
- Use the arrows to highlight the Security – Enter button;
- in the appeared window go to the Set Supervisor Password – Enter line;
- you come up with a 6-character key. It is desirable that it be complex – Enter;
- all settings to save and restart the computer.
If you want to change your password, you will first be prompted for the old key, so it is important to enter it correctly. Otherwise, the attempt will fail.
By setting a password in the BIOS, you ensure that all information on your hard drive is protected and inaccessible to unauthorized persons.
Alternative ways to protect your computer with a password
The matter is not limited to the installation of a login lock and BIOS, as there are alternative ways to protect your laptop with passwords.
One of them is the installation of a security cipher through the command line. It is used to block access to all computer device data in order to protect valuable data from prying eyes.
How to make a password from the command line:
- using the Windows+X key combination, select Command Line from the list;
- enter cmd – the command line appears;
- enter ner user – Enter;
- displays the list of users with logins on the screen;
- enter net user Password name. Instead of Name – the corresponding login, instead of Password – the invented security code
If the procedure is performed correctly, the system will display the corresponding message with the inscription “The command is executed successfully”.
All of the ways described in this article to protect information on a computer device are effective and good, especially since you can apply them in a complex. One password on an input will be not enough, but at blocking of an input, installation of a key for BIOS and a hard disk simultaneously will allow you to protect as much as possible from risk of penetration of the malefactor to the laptop data.
You can download VPN for PC, which allows you to protect data when you are constantly working in the network. The principle of VPN is that you will be invisible on the network, no one will be able to track your traffic and visits to sites, as well as no one will get into your computer while you are open on the Internet.
You can use the VeraCrypt or Windows Bitlocker utility to encrypt your data quickly and securely.