Setup a Windows Login Password: If you want to protect your laptop from unauthorized access, then it is quite possible that you will want to put a password on it without telling anyone no one can log in.
There are several ways to do this, the most common of which is to set a Windows login password or put a password on your laptop in BIOS.
This manual will look at both of these methods, as well as briefly give you some additional information about protecting your laptop with a password, if it stores really important data and eliminates the possibility of access to it.
How to Setup a Windows Login Password
One of the easiest ways to set a password on a laptop is to install it on the Windows operating system itself. This method is not the most reliable (it is relatively easy to reset or find your Windows password), but it is perfect if you just need to keep your device unused when you are away.
Windows 7
To set a password in Windows 7, go to Control Panel, turn on the Icons view and open User Accounts.
Then, click “Create a password for your account” and enter your password, password confirmation, and tooltip for it, then apply your changes.
That’s all. Now, every time you turn on your laptop before entering Windows, you will need to enter a password. You can also press the Windows + L keys on your keyboard to lock your laptop before entering the password without turning it off.
Windows 8.1 and 8
In Windows 8, you can do the same in the following ways:
- Go to Control Panel – User Accounts and click “Change Account in Computer Settings”, go to step 3.
- Open the right pane of Windows 8, click Settings – Change Computer Settings. Then go to Accounts.
- In account management, you can set a password, not only a text password, but also a graphic password or a simple pin code.
Save the settings, depending on which Windows password you need to enter (text or image). Like Windows 7, you can lock your system at any time without turning off your laptop by pressing the Win + L key on your keyboard.
How to put a password in a laptop BIOS (a more secure way)
Setting the password in the BIOS of the laptop will be more reliable, since it is only possible to reset the password by removing the battery from the laptop’s motherboard (with rare exceptions). That is, worry that someone in your absence will be able to turn on and operate the device to a lesser extent.
In order to put the password on the laptop in the BIOS, you must first enter it. Unless you have the latest laptop, you usually need to press the F2 key when you turn on the BIOS (this information is usually displayed at the bottom of the screen when you turn it on).
If you have a newer model and operating system, then the article How to get BIOS in Windows 8 and 8.1 may be useful, as a simple keystroke may not work.
The next step is to find the BIOS section where you can set the User Password and Supervisor Password. It is enough to set the User Password, in which case the password will be asked to turn on the computer (boot OS) and to enter the BIOS settings. On most laptops this is done in about the same way, I will give some screenshots to be seen exactly.
After the password has been set, go to Exit and select “Save and Exit Setup”.
Other ways to protect your laptop with a password
The problem with the above methods is that such a password on the laptop only protects from your relative or colleague – they will not be able to install, play or watch something on the Internet without entering it.
However, your data is still unprotected: for example, if you remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer, all of it will be fully accessible without any passwords.
If you’re interested in storing your data, data encryption software such as VeraCrypt or Windows Bitlocker – a built-in Windows encryption feature – will help. But this is the topic of a separate article.