How do I set a password on my computer?

Data protection is an important moment for everyone.user of a desktop computer or laptop, since data stored on hard drives can be of particular value that the owner would not like to show to outsiders.

To set a password on the computer, you mustis responsible, especially in large institutions, where the probability of industrial espionage is high. In addition, it is not superfluous to protect and personal information, through which intruders can begin to blackmail the unfortunate person. Quite often the news flashes in the news, in which it is reported that this or that star was attacked by hackers who managed to remove from their personal archives photos, video, and sometimes financial data.

To protect yourself from this kind of problems,just set the password on the computer. How to do this in popular versions of the Windows operating system, as well as in the BIOS, will be described in this article.

Password on Windows XP

Before setting a password on the computer,it is necessary to carefully think through the code, since it is common for a user to simply forget it, inventing a too complex combination of symbols. To protect yourself from hacker attacks by selecting password symbols, you should know that the code should contain:

• upper and lower case letters;
• symbols and numbers;
• at least 6-8 characters;
• exchangeable register.

Observance of these four simple rules will allow you to create the most reliable password.

So, the instructions for setting a password on Windows XP:

1. Go to the "Start" - "Control Panel";
2. In the menu that appears on the screen, find the category "User Accounts", then you need the "Change account" item;
3. You can create a new account or use an existing "Admin", which has administrative rights;
4. Selecting it, you can change the name, as well as create or change the password (for more information, see How to change the password on the computer). To change the password, select "Create a password";
5. Before you will receive a form for entering symbols,which will need to be entered identically in the first two fields. Also, the operating system will ask you to add a word or a whole phrase to the special field that will allow you to remember the password if you forgot it (read the practical tips on this topic in the article What if I forgot the password on my computer);
6. Click the "New Password" confirmation button. After that, every time you start Windows, an account will appear on the screen, clicking on which, you will need to enter the password.

Setting a password on Windows 7

The instructions in many respects are similar to how to set a password on a computer running Windows XP:

1. Press "Start" - "Control Panel";
2. By clicking on the "User Accounts" link, you will find on the screen an item with information about creating a password, after clicking on which a form will appear to create a password;
3. Enter your password in the appropriate line and confirm the correctness of its writing in the next. You will also be asked to create a hint in case you forget the password.

Creating a password in Windows 8

You get used to everything new, but this is not a reason to abandon the technical innovations that Microsoft offers us. In the 8-ke password for the account is set as follows:

1. Call the menu by hovering the mouse over the bottom right of the screen. If everything is done correctly, then the side menu will pop up with the "Options" button at the bottom;
2. When you click on the gear, the interface will change and a menu will appear on the screen, at the very bottom of which there will be a link "Changing computer settings";
3. On the new page, the "Accounts" row will appear in the list, clicking on "Login Options" and clicking the "Add" button under the "Password" section;
4. In the appeared form, we enter the password and confirmation in the standard way, and also fill in the box "Hint";
5. Done. The password is set.

Set the password via BIOS

If the OS is not already installed, or if for some reason you want to put the password through the BIOS, then you need:

1. In the first moments after turning on the system unit, press the Del key energetically to enter the BIOS;
2. In the opened menu select the item "BIOS Setting Password";
3. After pressing the Enter key, a window will appear in which you need to enter a password, and then enter it again to confirm;

For the password to be displayed not only when you log in to the BIOS, but also when the computer boots, you must:

1. In the BIOS select the link "Advanced BIOS Features" - "Password Check";
2. Opposite the link will be the "Setup" button. Click on it and change this item to "Always". Now the password will be requested every time you start the computer.

If you need to help someone remember the password, then you will also need the article How to find the Windows administrator password.