How to Password Protect a Computer

If you share a computer with the rest of the members who live in your home, you may want to secure and protect important data and files from accidental tampering or deletion. This is especially important when you have children around who love to tinker with gadgets. Similarly, when you share a desktop unit with an office mate, it would be wise to secure important documents with passwords. Even if you do not find yourself in any of these particular situations, you still may benefit from the extra security for your personal peace of mind.

Technology has allowed us to protect files and the like through the help of passwords. If you are using Windows as an operating software platform, whatever version it may be, you have the option of creating different passwords for different users on the computer. One password each for every individual user. In other words, logging in with a password opens all the files and programs related to that particular user only. Other people’s files and folders are hidden from you and yours from them.

When leaving your desk always log off. This means if somebody else uses the computer after you they can do so without “touching” your important files and data. Do this whenever you leave the computer unattended. When you return to your desk, simply enter your name and password to access your personal files and folders. All of this can be set up from the control panel of the Windows program. The control panel is readily accessible from the Start button of Windows.

What if you prefer to simply protect certain files from your profile? A secret MS Word file perhaps or a confidential document? No problem! To keep peering eyes away from that MS Word document, you can choose to hide the file from normal view. To do this, simply click Options from the Tools Menu and then choose the Security tab. Key in the password of preference. Press Enter or choose Ok. You will be prompted to retype your chosen password for verification. Simply retype it on the box. Complete by clicking OK. That document can only be opened and read if the user knows the password. Otherwise, he or she will not be able to open it.

If you prefer to protect a whole folder, the security options are also accessible in the same way as mentioned above. This way, nobody can access your folder, along with all the files inside it, without the password.

These are easy and simple ways of providing your much-needed peace of mind. Maximize your operating software’s nifty features. After all, you paid for it!

Photo Credits: akeg

Originally posted 2010-04-21 03:34:09.

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Computer Tips, Security and Malware

Posted by How To Computer on January 8, 2012 in Computer Tips, Security and Malware. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.