• How to set a computer password. How to set a password when logging into a personal computer. Set a password for a network folder

    The easiest way to protect personal data on your computer from being copied, viewed by other people, or deleted is by using a password. It can be installed even if during the installation of OS Windows the item about creating an Administrator account was skipped. There are several ways to protect information stored on your hard drive or in user folders. Let's find out what steps need to be taken to set a password on a computer or laptop (the methods are identical for both devices).

    Method #1: using parameters

    The easiest and fastest way to keep your personal information private is to create an account and protect it with a password. This can be done through the Windows Settings menu. Call up the window by pressing Win+I from the keyboard (the button with the OS logo and the English letter I). There is no need to switch to the English layout. The Settings tab can be accessed through the Start menu. You need to right-click on the OS logo in the panel.


    Next do the following:

    Protection is installed. Now, after turning on the PC and loading the operating system, an account will be displayed on the welcome desktop, which can only be entered after entering the code word. You will have to enter it every time you put the computer to sleep (the inactivity time can be set manually through the parameters).

    Interesting! You can make sure that the protection is installed either by restarting the PC or by pressing the Win+L button combination from the keyboard. Both operations will throw the user into the OS welcome desktop, where an icon with an account and a field for entering a code word will appear.

    Types of security passwords

    Coming up with a difficult-to-crack password is not as easy as remembering it. To more reliably protect your data and avoid problems with logging into the user desktop, you can use additional locking tools - a graphic password or PIN code.

    Important! The buttons for setting them will become active only after the main password has been set for the account in Windows. Without it, the “Add” buttons will be inactive.


    Algorithm for setting a PIN code:
    • Select “Add” in the PIN code block;
    • Enter the digital code in the blank field in the new window;
    • Click the “Ok” button
    Important! A graphic password can only be installed on computers with a touch screen. The principle of blocking is to select a photograph or picture (the condition is that it must be saved on the hard drive) and then indicate important areas on it. There may be several of them. For example, in a photograph, highlight the eyes and chin, ear and eyebrow with a circle, oval or rectangle. When you log in to your account, a photo portrait will appear in which you need to circle the previously selected objects in a given way.

    Method #2: using a Microsoft account

    Create an account in the “Options” window. Only in the left block you need to select the “Your parameters” menu. The user characteristics will be displayed in the right menu. Here you need to find “Log in instead...”.


    Next, the algorithm is as follows:

    Creating a Microsoft account will not only protect your information, but will also allow you to synchronize system settings. This way, if you reinstall the OS, you won’t need to configure your PC and applications again; you just need to log in to your account. The transfer of alphanumeric system codes is also carried out. After the reboot, an icon with a blank field for entering a password will appear on the welcome screen.

    Method #3: Using the Command Line

    If the user works as an Administrator, then you can use the command line to set a password on a computer or laptop. It can be easily called with a short cmd command in the windows search bar, then right-click and run the command “as administrator”.


    Then proceed like this:

    The protection of personal information is established. You can check whether the operation was performed correctly by restarting the PC or pressing Win+L from the keyboard. The welcome screen will display a window with an assigned account name and a blank line for you to enter an alphanumeric code. The Win+L key combination is convenient to use to quickly close an account. For example, when there are a lot of people around, but you urgently need to get away from the computer. Waiting until he “falls asleep” is irrational in this case.

    Closing an account with a password is an easy and reliable way to protect data from copying, reading and deletion. But you need to come up with a complex code, otherwise it will be easy to hack. Don't neglect the hint field either. If the code word is lost or forgotten, it will help you remember it.

    Setting a login password for a specific application or PC file is very simple. Using standard OS functionality and several third-party utilities, you can protect any information from unauthorized users. To set a password on a computer or laptop, read all the methods presented.

    The first protection option is to install a key when you turn it on. In this case, before the operating system fully loads, you will see a window on the screen asking you to enter a combination of characters. Creating multiple accounts allows you to install a separate code for each (useful if the computer has several users). To install such protection, you must do the following (for Windows 10):

    1. First you need to open the Settings window. To do this, right-click on the “Start” icon and select the appropriate item.
    1. Now go to the Accounts section.
    1. In the “Login Options” tab, next to the “Password” item, click on the “Add” button.
    1. Enter your password twice and create a hint. In order not to forget the main combination and not face account blocking, be careful when choosing a hint.
    1. To complete the procedure, click “Finish”.

    Now, when you log in using this account, you are required to provide a password.

    Windows 8 and 10 also allow you to set a separate PIN. It does not replace full-fledged protection, but is used as an alternative to avoid wasting time entering a complex and long password.

    To set a PIN code, use the instructions provided:

    1. In the same “Login Options” window, click on the “Add” button in the “PIN code” item.
    1. To begin, confirm your account login.
    2. Now set a short PIN and click OK.

    Starting with Windows 8, developers have added the ability to enter a pattern on tablets and laptops with a touch screen. On ordinary computers it can also be entered, but only with the mouse. To enable the feature, use the following guide:

    1. Open Settings again (as in the first instruction) and go to Accounts. In the “Login Options” section, click on the “Add” button in the “Graphic Password” subheading.
    1. Confirm your account login to begin setting up the pattern.
    1. To select a picture, click on the corresponding button.
    1. Select a picture and click “Open”.
    1. Now click on the marked button to confirm your image selection.
    1. On the selected picture, draw three objects with your mouse or finger. The system will record each of them.
    1. After that, confirm the key by drawing the same shapes in the same order. After successful entry, you will see a congratulations message from Windows. Click on “Done”.

    After successfully entering the pattern, you will have access to the Windows desktop.

    Protection using a regular password is relevant for Windows XP and Windows 7. The pattern key and PIN code are available only for versions 8 and 10 of the operating system.

    Microsoft Account

    Windows allows you to sign in using a Microsoft account. Thanks to this, you can make purchases in the Microsoft Store and use other company services. In addition, you can protect your account with a password. To do this you need:

    1. Open "Options".
    1. Now open Accounts.
    1. In the “Your data” tab, click on the marked button.
    1. Enter your login (email, phone or Skype).
    1. Enter your password and click “Login”.

    Using the command line

    If you want to install protection as quickly as possible and have minimal knowledge of the command line, then use the following guide:

    1. Open a command prompt. The fastest way to do this is through Win + R and the “cmd” command.
    1. Enter the command "net users" to get information about accounts.
    1. Now enter “net user username password”, where instead of username you need to enter the account name, and instead of “password” you need to enter the security key.
    1. Ready! All that remains is to reboot your account and check that the settings are working.

    Application protection

    A simple Game Protector utility will help you in this matter, which can be downloaded from its official website. To use the application, follow the instructions:

    1. Go to the website and click on the “Download Now” button.
    1. Run the installer and click on “Next”.
    1. Check the box to accept the terms of the license agreement and click “Next”.
    1. Specify the installation folder.
    1. Specify the folder name for the menu and click “Next”.
    1. You can also create a shortcut on your desktop.
    1. Now click “Install” and wait for the unpacking to complete.
    1. Despite the name, the utility allows you to protect not only games, but also any other applications. In this way, you can block your child’s access to the browser, Telegram, work programs, and so on. Launch Game Protector and click "Open" to select the application's executable file.
    1. Select the exe file and click “Open”.
    1. Now enter the password twice (1). If necessary, you can change the icon and name of the application (2).
    1. After setting all the parameters, click “Protect”. Now, when you start the program, you will have to specify the invented Password.

    Unfortunately, Game Protector does not allow you to protect a folder, disk or flash drive. Therefore, let's look at the functionality of another utility.

    For folder

    To set a password for a folder, we will use the functionality of the Password Protect Folder program (download link). After installation, launch the application and do the following:

    1. Click on the "Lock folders" button.
    1. Select the folder you want to protect and click OK.
    1. Enter your password and click on “Lock Folder”.
    1. You can also install protection on a folder by right-clicking on it and selecting the item marked in the screenshot from the menu.

    This way you can restrict access to any browser (Yandex.Browser, Google Chrome, etc.) so that children cannot surf the Internet without supervision.

    Via BIOS

    1. Launch BIOS settings using the dedicated button when you start your computer. After that, open the “Security” section and select “Administrator Password”.
    1. Enter the combination twice and click OK. After this, restart your computer.

    Disk protection

    Modern Windows has a BitLocker feature that allows you to protect your hard drive. To use it, you must follow the instructions:

    1. Open the “This PC” window and right-click on the desired hard drive partition. From the menu, select Enable BitLocker.

    Setting a password for the Windows operating system is an important step when organizing protection against data leakage. In addition, any user restrictions regarding access to data automatically become restrictions for viruses, as they prevent their spread. The sequence of actions for organizing protection for different versions of Windows OS is similar, but nevertheless there are some differences. In addition to instructions on how to set a password on a Windows XP, 7, 8, 10 computer, in this instruction you can find information on protecting the BIOS and individual files.

    Windows XP protection

    Password on Windows XP installed in section Control panels PC « User Accounts" Let's consider the sequence of actions:

    1. Find and click in the lower left corner Desktop button Start.
    2. In the pop-up menu we find the section “ Control Panel».
    3. Then, after going to the section " User Accounts» click on the icon of the account for which you want to install protection.
    4. In the window that appears, you should find the section “ Creating a Password" and click on it.
    5. In the last window, you should enter the code sequence in two forms, be sure to use both large and small letters, numbers and special characters. If you wish, you can come up with a hint that will be displayed in the Windows user authorization form. We confirm the entered data by clicking on the Create password button.

    After this, all attempts to log into the custom account will lead to the appearance of an input dialog for the specified sequence.

    Windows 7 protection

    The answer to the question of how to put Windows 7 password, is quite simple:

    After the next exit from the PC operating system, an attempt to boot it under the control of this user will result in an authorization dialog appearing.

    Windows 8 protection

    The problem of how to set a password on Windows 8 is solved somewhat differently:

    1. Move the mouse cursor to the upper right corner of the screen and in the panel that appears, click on “ Options».
    2. At the bottom of the activated menu, find the link “ Change computer settings" and follow it.
    3. A list of PC OS parameters will open, where you should click on the item “ Users».
    4. Next, click on Create a password and click on it.
    5. As in previous cases, where you were required to set a password on a Windows XP and 7 computer, enter the created security code twice in the appropriate fields. If desired, you can fill in the field “ Password hint" To confirm, click on the Next button.
    6. A notification will appear indicating that the password has been successfully created; in this window, click on the Finish button.

    Windows 10 protection

    Now let's look at how to set a password on Windows 10. This task can be solved in just four steps:


    Windows Phone Protection

    Setting up protection on a smartphone running Windows is not as easy as setting a password on Windows 10 for PC, but carefully following these steps will solve this problem:

    It is important to understand that too small a value will prevent you from using the phone comfortably, and too large a value will negatively affect the reliability of the protection. Recommended length is 8–10 characters.

    BIOS protection

    The question often arises of how to set a password on a computer without logging into Windows 7, 8 or 10. This opportunity is provided by BIOS. The main advantage of using it to organize protection is that the user must enter the code sequence immediately after turning on the computer, and only a hardware reset of the BIOS will help an attacker bypass the lock.

    Activating password login begins with entering the BIOS. To do this, press the Del key immediately after turning on the PC. Perhaps your BIOS version uses a different key for this, but in any case it should be indicated on the computer startup screen. There are many BIOS versions, but the names of the main sections are the same in almost all of them.

    Let's look at the sequence of actions to set a password:



    Locking shortcuts

    Many users of desktop operating systems have a question about how to put a password on a shortcut or folder. There are many solutions to this problem, since in these cases you should use external programs such as LocK-A-FoLdeR, WinRaR, Folder Lock.

    Bottom line

    So, in this article we have studied in detail how to set a password on a Windows 10 computer, as well as on computers or laptops with previous versions: 7, 8 and XP. We looked at the procedure for installing protection on Windows Phone. They also showed how to install protection at the very beginning of booting your PC when starting the BIOS. We hope you find this article useful.

    Video on the topic

    Some users need to protect their information from prying eyes. To do this, you need to use protection, archive data or the system with a password, limit access functions, etc. How to set a password on a computer and make the most basic protection against inexperienced users? Anyone can learn this skill if they know certain basics of computer literacy.

    How to put passwords on your computer

    When using Windows (7, 8, XP, etc.), it is permissible to set a password for the main account, which has an access level to system folders with administrator rights (software, drivers). In order for other users (colleagues or relatives) to log in to the system, you need to create a secondary Guest account, which will protect access to certain information and system management.

    step by step guide with photos

    • On the taskbar, click the “Start” command, click the “Control Panel” item.
    • Select the “user accounts” tab, “change account”.
    • During a standard software installation, your default account is called Admin. Click on the icon and click “create (change) password.”
    • We come up with a treasured word (or a combination of letters and numbers), enter it in the required lines (when changing the password, you must enter the old code word).
    • Then, if necessary, enter a reminder phrase. But do not forget that it will be visible to all users, which will help break your protection.
    • At the end, click “create (change) password.”



    Tip: write down your code word on several media (phone, player, flash drive, personal notepad or notebook) so as not to lose it.

    With this guide, you can not only set a password, but also change the password on your computer.

    To do this, go through all the steps again, paying attention to the recommendations in brackets.

    To connect an additional account, you need to follow all the same steps from the very beginning, only in the 2nd step you will need to select “create an account” and enter a name (or leave Guest). Select “limited account” and “create account”. Reboot to see all changes.

    What should I do if I lose my administrator account password?

    To reset or bypass passwords on Windows 7, we need any Windows 7 installation disk. With the XP system, everything is configured only with your own hands. The main thing is to carefully follow all the recommendations in the video tutorial:

    Unfortunately, if you encrypted any data, it will disappear after resetting the password, but it is better to lose a few folders than to completely reinstall the system.

    Other ways to protect information

    The first way is to password-protect the BIOS. There may be 2 options here: set a password to log in or to boot the computer (not possible in all versions). The difficulty in installing such protection is that it is different for each BIOS. In addition, you need to work in the BIOS carefully; the slightest mistake will lead to serious consequences. Losing a code word is punishable by changing the OS.

    The second is to password-protect documents using the WinRAR archiver.

    • Select the file that needs to be hidden, call the context menu (right mouse button), and select “add to archive...”.
    • In a new window, open the “advanced” tab, “set a password...” (see photo below).
    • After entering the treasured combination, check the box “encrypt file names” and “ok”.


    The third is special programs. The Internet offers various solutions for protecting information, but most of them are paid. They act in different ways and their degrees of protection vary. For example, the TrueCrypt program creates special containers for storing data. When used skillfully, the degree of protection is very high.

    Master class on using TrueCrypt and Keepass

    If you have lost your wireless Internet password, use the following instructions and diagram.

    • Find the wireless network icon in the tray (next to the clock)
    • In the context menu, select “Network and Sharing Center...”.
    • Next - “ wireless network management”.
    • On the shortcut that appears, open the context menu and select “properties”.
    • Then - “Security” and check the “display visible signs” checkbox.


    The security of password-protected files depends on the complexity of the code words. A long combination of uppercase and lowercase letters + numbers is the key to long-term security. It is desirable that such a combination does not make sense (dates, names, etc.) and differs in different objects. To quickly create a password, you can use online password generators.

    Many people set a password on their computer. This is mainly done to protect personal information. And sometimes parents limit access to games for their child in this way. But over time, the need for such protection passes, then the password can simply be removed. Or another situation - you simply forgot your password. There is no need to worry, because it can also be reset.

    First, let's figure out how to remove the password from a computer on which Windows 7 is installed. Turn on the computer and log into the system under the Administrator account. Only with his rights can you do what you plan. Click the “Start” icon in the lower left corner of the screen or the corresponding button on the keyboard. In the pop-up window, select “Control Panel”. In the window that appears, click on “Add and remove user accounts.”


    Select the user whose account password you want to delete and click on “Remove Password”.



    The algorithm of actions is similar to Windows 8, but still has some differences. We also log in with Administrator rights. Call up the sidebar by swiping up from the bottom right corner of the screen and select “Settings” there. Next, click on the “Control Panel” item.


    In the window that opens after your actions, go to the “Accounts and Family Safety” section. Now go to “User Accounts” and double-click on the one for which you need to reset the password.


    A new window will open where the “Change Password” button will be available. Let's press it. Enter the current password and click “Next”.


    You will be prompted to set a new password. But since you just need to delete it, we leave the “New Password”, “Enter Password Again” and “Password Hint” fields empty. Click “Next”. Now we confirm our actions by clicking “Done”. Login is free.


    The methods described above will help if you know the password to your computer, but there are cases when the password is unknown. Then the ERD Commander program will be your best assistant. Unfortunately, it is not distributed for free, but you can always download it on the Internet. For example, from rutracker.org. This site provides several versions of the utility for different operating systems.


    Create a boot disk or flash drive. We stick it into the computer and turn it on. In the window that loads, select your operating system, then in the “System Recovery Options” select the first of the proposed items and click “Next”.


    In the new window, select Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset, and then click on the “Password Change Wizard” item. In the pop-up window, select the user and assign him a new password. Click Next, and then “Done”.


    Having done all this, remove the flash drive or disk, depending on what you used, and reboot the computer. The system will ask for a password. Enter the one that was specified in the ERD Commander program. And then we proceed as described in the previous paragraphs.


    Now you know how to remove the password from your computer if necessary. You can even reset it if you forget it or accidentally change it. This does not require reinstalling the operating system, which will save all data.

    Synchronizing user data within one account is a fashionable trend today, which has its advantages. Many people log in to the Chrome browser using their Google account, thereby having their own browser settings on different devices (different PCs, smartphones). Microsoft provides similar functionality in its new operating systems.

    In what cases might this be needed? Completely different.

    So, for example, to limit the people who can sit at a given computer, or for the security of information that is on hard drives, or to prevent children from sitting at a PC for several hours while their parents are not at home, and so on.

    We will bet computer password in Windows 7 using your account. Usually there is one account on the computer with your name and it gives all administrator rights. That is, if we turn on the computer and log in as an administrator, then we can view all files, install, remove programs, and so on. You need to set a password for this main account and when you turn it on you will need to enter it, otherwise you will not be able to access the data.

    Video: Put a password on your computer

    How to set a password for an account in Windows 7

    To do this you need to do a few simple steps. Let's get started.

    Let's go to " Start - Control Panel».


    In the window that opens, in the right corner of the folder, change View from “Category" to "Small icons".

    Now in the same folder we look for the item “ User Accounts" Let's go there.


    We come up with a password and enter it twice in the appropriate forms; we can also enter a password hint. There you can write what exactly this password is associated with, so that if you suddenly forget it, it will remind you. Once everything is ready, click the “Create password” button.


    As we can see, we now have an account Password protected, and it became possible to either delete the password or change it.


    Now, when we turn on the computer, when the system boots, Windows 7 will require us to enter a password, otherwise the system will not start.

    After setting a password for your account try restarting your computer. I got this window where I need to enter my password:


    How to set a password on your computer correctly. Setting a password on your computer when you log in or turn it on. Tip for beginners: how to set a password on your computer when you turn it on. How to set a password on your computer correctly. Setting a password on your computer when you log in or turn it on. Tip for beginners: how to set a password on your computer when you turn it on.

    Some users need to protect their information from prying eyes. To do this, you need to use special protection programs, archive data or the system with a password, limit...

    If you are not the only user of the computer, at some point you may need to set a password to log in. This is easy to do even for a novice PC user; you just need to follow the sequence of certain actions. Some people use special programs for this. At the same time, Windows has its own utility that helps you password-protect a user account. We will tell you how to set a password on a Windows 8 computer; the same procedure is necessary for 7 and the XP version.

    If you value confidential information, you have files that you would like to hide even from close relatives - setting a password is necessary. This function will not hurt when connecting a computer to the local network, in addition, it can protect the PC from some viruses and Trojans.

    If there are several accounts in the system, you will need to put a separate security code on each one - this will not take much time. In the future, it will need to be entered every time you turn it on.

    Setting a password via the control panel

    How to set a password on your computer when logging in? Most often, a single account is installed on a home PC. The user in whose name it is made has administrator rights on the PC being used. Therefore he has unlimited access to all files, documents, photos and has the right to delete them and other actions. A person with administrator rights also has the ability to install and remove any programs. Thus, without access to the account, no one else will be able to view your folders and download, install and remove various software.

    Well, that's all. The machine will require you to restart Windows, after which a field will appear to enter a password that you will need to enter to log in. Just in case, it is better to write it down on a piece of paper and store it in a place known only to the owner.

    How to set a password through BIOS

    There is another way to set a password to log into the computer when you turn it on; it will be useful if you have access to it for more advanced users, which can bypass simple protection. The advantage of this option is that the secret combination will be asked to enter before Windows boots, and not after it. This will make it more difficult for an attacker to guess the password or somehow bypass it.

    It is important to note that computer-savvy people can bypass this protection by going into the BIOS and changing its settings. To enhance security You also need to set a password to enter the BIOS itself. This is also quite possible to do.

    Set a password for the folder

    If you are not a secret agent and do not store large quantities of important work documents on your computer, but simply want to hide several files, you can collect them in a separate folder and set a password directly on it. Unfortunately, the Windows developers did not provide us with this opportunity and we will have to install additional software.

    Programs such as MyFolder or Password Protect are suitable for this. An important condition is to save these applications on your computer in order to be able to open password-protected folders. I use the MyFolder program, you can only access a password-protected folder through it.

    As for the Password Protect application, with its help you can make any folder invisible and you will not find it in its usual place. Logging into the hidden folder is also done through the application. You see a folder in it, enter your password and only then does the folder become visible in its Windows directory and unlocked.

    Another method involves using the WinRAR archiver. It is suitable for those who already have this application, then there is no need to download additional programs. You need to right-click on the folder you want to password-protect and select “Add to archive.” In the pop-up window for creating a new archive, select the “Advanced” tab and on it the code word is being set.