How to make your windows 10 8 or 7 pc log in automatically

Setting a password for your computer is a good way to protect your privacy on your PC. But, you may think it wastes your time. Now, in this post, we will show you three guides on how to auto login Windows 10. You can choose one way based on your own situation. For more information about managing your computer, you can visit the MiniTool home page.

It is a good experience if you boot into Windows fast. But, you need to enter your password for Windows and this will increase the booting time.

To enable Windows 10 auto login will allow you to enter Windows 10 without inputting the password every time you start your PC. Before allowing your PC to skip login in Windows 10, you need to make sure that no stranger can use your computer because this change will allow any other users to use your PC without password.

Windows 10 stuck on loading screen? Top 10 solutions are here to help you out of Windows 10 black screen with loading circle and cursor.

How to auto login Windows 10? There are two different ways. In the following content, we will show you the detailed steps of these two methods.

Method 1: Use Settings App to Turn off Sign-In in Windows 10

This way is very simple. You can follow this guide:

1. Press Start.
2. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
3. Find the Require sign-in section and turn its status to Never.

After these three steps, you can bypass the sign-in option when you want to wake up your computer from sleeping.

Method 2: Change the Registry Key

If you want to use Windows 10 auto login when booting up, you need to change the related registry key in Windows 10.

Do you know how to back up individual Registry keys Windows 10? Now, this post will show you a step-by-step guidance to do this job.

You need to strictly follow these steps when modifying the registry key.

1. Right-click on Start.

2. Select Search.

3. Search for regedit and select Registry Editor from the search result.

4. In the Registry Editor, you need to navigate to the following path:

5. Go to find the DefaultUserName option on the right side of the window and double-click on it. Then, you need to make sure that your own computer account name is displayed in the Value data box. Then, close this Edit string window.

6. Go to find the DefaultPassword If there is no such an option, you need to manually create a new String value that is named as DefaultPassword under the Winlogon folder. Then, double-click it and type in the password in the Value data box. At last, press OK to keep the change.

7. Find the AutoAdminLogon option and double-click on it. Then, change the value data from 0 to 1. Then, press OK to keep the change.

Method 3: Use Autologon

Perhaps, you don’t want to change the registry key on your computer because there is sensitive information in it. You can use a Microsoft free tool instead. This tool is called Autologon.

You can follow these steps to enable Windows 10 auto login using this tool.

1. Go to the Microsoft Autologon docs page to download this tool on your computer.
2. Extract the downloaded zip file.
3. Run this Autologon tool and accept the license agreement.
4. Autologon will begin to automatically grab your username and domain field. You need to input the password for verification.
5. Press Enable.

After these steps, you can auto login Windows 10.

If you want to disable auto login in Windows 10, you need to run the tool, enter the password, and select Disable.

This is the end of the guide on how to auto login Windows 10.

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About The Author

Stella has been working in MiniTool Software as an English Editor for more than 4 years. Her articles mainly cover the fields of data recovery including storage media data recovery and phone data recovery, YouTube videos download, partition management, and video conversions.

Plus, some reasons why you might not want to

It can be irritating to have to enter your login credentials—your username and password—every time you turn on your Windows 10 computer. Fortunately, there are several ways to automatically login to Windows 10, saving you precious seconds.

You can do this by changing a few settings in Windows 10 or by using the registry editor. We’ll also show you how to revert those settings in case you ever want to go back to entering your credentials every time you log into Windows 10.

Why You Might Want to Set Up Windows 10 to Login Automatically

Setting up Windows 10 to login automatically is certainly less secure than requiring users to login by typing in a password or PIN. There are, however, some situations when you might prefer your computer to log you in automatically.

• You want to run a Steam Link, and you don’t want to have to run over to your other computer to enter your Windows 10 credentials every time you want to turn on your Steam Link.
• You use your own laptop for school, and you’re always running late so you want your computer to boot up as fast as possible without having to enter your password.
• You’re the only person in your household — no one else will ever use your computer.
• You’re terrible at remembering your password.

Despite the reasons above, you’ll probably find that you don’t want to set up Windows 10 to login automatically forever. Eventually, you’ll want to go back to having Windows 10 require you to login with your username/password or PIN. We also recommend doing this for a short period of time for the reasons mentioned below.

The Downsides to Windows 10 Logging You in Automatically

Before we begin, a few quick notes about why having Windows 10 log you in automatically might not be the best idea.

• It’s dangerous. Anyone who can turn your computer on will be able to get into it and will have administrative privileges if your account is an administrator. The intruder will be able to do anything you can do. This is especially dangerous if you have passwords saved in your browser or you have your password manager set to automatically log in. Whoever is using your computer will have access to all your accounts and passwords! Yikes.
• You’re likely to forget your password if you never need to type it in.
• If your computer belongs to your school or employer, you may not even have administrative privileges on your computer, and, therefore, you won’t be able to change the settings necessary to set up Windows 10 to login automatically.

You have been warned. Now let’s look at how to set up your computer to login automatically.

Set Up Windows 10 to Login Automatically in the Settings Menu

This is the easiest way, but it doesn’t always work.

1. In the Windows search bar, type Settings and press Enter.
2. In the Find a setting box, type Sign-in options and select it from the list.
3. Under Require sign-in, set it to Never.

If you follow the steps below and you’re still prompted for your user name and password (or your PIN) when you restart Windows, try the next method.

Set Up Windows 10 to Login Automatically via User Account Settings

Access your user account settings for the simplest way to automatically log into Windows 10.

1. In the Windows 10 search box or the Run command box (Windows key + R), type netplwiz or control userpasswords2.

1. Press Enter.
2. A User Accounts window will open.

1. Uncheck the box next to “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.” If you don’t even see the checkbox at all, then skip down to the registry method, which should work.
2. Press Enter.
3. A new box titled “Automatically sign in” will appear.
4. Enter in your user name and password.
5. Confirm your password.
6. Select the OK button.

Once you restart your computer you’ll see the results. You will now automatically be logged into your account.

Use the Registry Editor to Set Up Windows 10 to Login Automatically

Alternatively, you can use the Registry Editor to set up Windows 10 to login automatically when you turn on or restart your computer. Remember, bad things might happen if you do this incorrectly, so back up the registry before you start.

Note that you will need to enter the username and password into the registry for the account that you want to log into. If you’re using a Microsoft account to log into the PC, simply use the email address as the username.

1. Type registry editor in the Windows search box and select Registry Editor from the search results.( Alternatively, launch the Run command box by pressing Windows key + R. Then enter regedit and select the OK button.)

1. If asked, “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?” select Yes.
2. Type the following into the search box at the top of the Registry Editor: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. (Alternatively, drill through the folder structure on the left to the right folder.)

1. In the right pane, double-click on DefaultUserName. If there is no DefaultUserName entry, create one by selecting Edit >New >String Value. Name it DefaultUserName and select Enter.
2. Type in your user name and select the OK button.
3. Next, double-click on DefaultPassword. (If there is no DefaultPassword entry, create one by selecting Edit >New >String Value. Name it DefaultPassword and select Enter. Now you can double-click on the DefaultPassword entry.)

1. Enter your password and select the OK button.
2. Next, create an entry for automatic logins by selecting Edit >New >String Value.
3. Name the new string value AutoAdminLogon and select the OK button.
4. Double-click on the new AutoAdminLogon entry.
5. In the EditString box, enter the number “1” in the Value data field.
6. Select the OK button. These are the three registry values you have to add shown below.

1. Exit the Registry Editor.

When you restart your computer, your changes will take effect, and you’ll automatically login to Windows 10. If you have a different method you’ve used to log into Windows 10 automatically, let us know in the comments. Enjoy!

Maggie Marystone is a freelance technology writer, human rights worker, and storyteller based in Chicago. Read Maggie’s Full Bio

Windows can use devices that are paired with your PC to help detect when you’re away—then it can lock your PC shortly after your paired device is out of Bluetooth range. This makes it more difficult for someone to gain access to your device if you step away from your PC and forget to lock it.

Follow these steps to set things up:

Use Bluetooth to pair your phone with your PC. Learn how to pair devices using Bluetooth

On your Windows 11 PC, select Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.

Select Dynamic lock, then select the Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away check box.

Take your phone with you when you move away from your PC, and it will automatically lock a minute or so after you’re out of Bluetooth range. (Note that Bluetooth range varies by devices.)

Follow these steps to set things up:

Use Bluetooth to pair your phone with your PC. Learn how to pair devices using Bluetooth

On your Windows 10 PC, select the Start button > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.

Under Dynamic lock, select the Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away check box.

Take your phone with you when you move away from your PC, and it will automatically lock a minute or so after you’re out of Bluetooth range. (Note that Bluetooth range varies by devices.)

There are only three unavoidable things in life: death, taxes, and a Windows 10 PC that eventually runs slowly. Kick the operating system back into high gear with these useful tips that won’t cost you a dime.

If you’ve spent sufficient time working or playing on a Windows PC, you’ve surely felt the sting that comes with firing up a computer and realizing that something is. off. The PC boots slowly. Apps take forever to launch. Files open at a snail’s pace. In years past, a third-party tune-up utility was a necessary tool for remedying PC performance issues. Now, Microsoft now ships the Windows 10 operating with numerous, capable, system-enhancing utilities.

Tune-Up Windows 10 With Windows 10

In terms of operation, Windows 10 is a superior operating system compared to Windows 8 and 7. That said, you still to make sure that your PC runs at peak efficiency. Windows 10’s built-in tools lets you defragment your hard drives (though, not solid-state drives), delete temporary and duplicate files, and controls the apps that launch when your PC boots. The result? Your PC will boot faster and run smoother.

Unfortunately, Windows 10 lacks a singular tune-up tool; they’re scattered across the operating system, lacking a centralized location. The fact that Windows 10 lacks a big Tune-Up My PC button that starts all the wheels turning is a knock against it. Still, the tools are all there, if you’re willing to dig for them (don’t worry, we’ll show you how).

Note: Microsoft doesn’t recommend that you use tune-up utilities to tweak Windows 10, as those programs tweak the registry. That’s a no-no in Redmond’s eyes.

Tune-Up Utilities, Tested

Iolo System Mechanic Review

Ashampoo WinOptimizer Review

AVG TuneUp Review

Windows 10 vs. Third-Party Tune-Up Apps

One undeniable strength of third-party tune-up utilities is their ability to perform several system actions from within one easily negotiable interface—often with just a single mouse-click. Iolo System Mechanic, for example, lets you click a single icon to get the system-cleaning process started. Windows 10 lacks the one-click, tune-up button that Iolo System Mechanic and so many other tune-up utilities use to quickly clean up your PC.

In addition, tune-up utilities frequently include other software that sweetens the purchasing deal. Some come bundled with file shredders that permanently delete your unwanted data, though there are plenty of free and paid file shredders that perform the same action. Antivirus suites, program uninstallers, and driver updaters, which sometimes come bundled in tune-up utilities, can also be purchased as standalone software from Ashampoo, AVG, and other companies. Windows 10 has file-deletion programs, but it’s hidden in the system. Again, third-party tune-up utilities have the benefit of gathering everything into one central location.

That said, Windows 10’s tools are free, unlike many third-party tune-up apps that charge a one-time fee (and, depending on the app, demand a monthly subscription). Considering that Windows 10’s tune-up tools are free and quite capable, they’re attractive apps.

In fact, we suggest using Windows 10’s instead of third-party apps. There are two reasons for this. The first is that we no longer suffered lethargic PC performance after activating Windows 10’s tune-up tools. It’s a set-and-forget experience. The second reason involves computer safety. Windows 10’s tools never harmed our testbeds, but we’ve experienced boot issues with third-party tune-up utilities. Naturally, your mileage may vary.

Clean Up Windows 10 Now, Here’s How

If you don’t mind exploring Windows’ many PC-improving options on your own, you may not need to download a tune-up utility. If you’re well-versed in Windows 10, you’ll know precisely where to go. If you’re a Windows 10 novice, the tips below will put you on the healthy PC path. Happy cleaning.

Fire Up the Disk Defragmenter

Over time, the data on a hard drive disk (HDD) scatters across the storage device, thus increasing load times. As a result, defragmenting your PC’s hard drive disk—the act of bringing those data bits closer together—is an essential task. Fortunately, Windows 10 has a tool that lets you do that with ease.

You launch Windows 10’s disk defrag app by typing “defrag” into the taskbar search box and clicking Defragment and Optimize Drives. Once that window is open, select the drive (or drives!) that you wish to defrag and click Analyze. The tool then scans your PC’s HDD and displays the fragmentation percentage. After that, click Optimize to begin the repair process.

If you wish to defrag your PCs hard drive on a regular basis, click the window’s Change Settings option. That enables your PC to automatically run the drive optimizer on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Note: There’s no need to defrag a solid-state drive (SSD). In fact, Windows 10 doesn’t let you analyze and defragment those storage drives. Windows 10 optimizes SSDs to the extent of making sure deleted data has been removed to free up more storage.

Occasionally, you may want your computer to automatically shut down at a specified time point, for instance, if some downloading processes haven’t been completed but you have to leave the PC. In this post, MiniTool Solution will introduce four methods to schedule shutdown Windows 10.

It is still important to maintain your computer and you can try many methods to ensure the system’s health, especially the battery. For example, you can shut down your PC to save power when you are not using it.

But sometimes you may not remember to turn it off when you leave the PC to complete some tasks. Or you have to leave although some processes are not complete. Luckily, you can try many ways to set auto shutdown on your Windows computer to turn off the machine as expected.

Now, let’s go to see how to set computer to turn off at a certain time in Windows 10.

Are you bothered by Windows slow shutdown? This post will show you how to speed up shutdown time in Windows 10 with ease!

4 Ways to Set Auto Shutdown Windows 10

Schedule Shutdown Windows 10 CMD

Step 1: Input cmd in the search box and right-click on Command Prompt to choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: Type shutdown –s –t number and press Enter. If you type 3600, this means your computer will automatically shut down after 60 minutes, namely 1 hour.

Set Auto Shutdown Windows 10 via Run

Step 1: Press two keys at the same time – Windows logo and R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Input shutdown –s –t number, for example, shutdown –s –t 3600 and press Enter.

Set Windows 10 Scheduled Shutdown in Windows PowerShell

Step 1: Right-click on the Start button, choose Windows PowerShell (Admin) and click Yes to open this utility.

Have received the message “critical error start menu isn’t working”? This post will walk you through some effective fixes for the start menu error.

Step 2: Type shutdown –s –t number and press Enter.

Schedule Shutdown Windows 10 via Windows Task Manager

In Windows 10, there is a tool called Task Scheduler that allows you to schedule any task on your computer. With it, you can easily set Windows 10 scheduled shutdown.

The vulnerability in the Windows Task Scheduler makes it easier for hackers to get access to a Windows system.

Step 1: Type task scheduler in the search box and open this app.

Step 2: Choose Create Basic Task from the right Actions panel.

Step 3: Type the task name, for example, shutdown.

Step 4: Choose when you want the auto shutdown task to start. Here, we choose One time as an example.

Step 5: Set the specific time when you want Windows 10 to automatically turn off.

Step 6: Decide what action you want the task to perform, for example, start a program.

Step 7: Click Browse, go to C:\Windows\System32 and find the shutdown app file to open it.

Step 8: Click –s behind the Add arguments section and click Next.

Step 9: Finally, click Finish. Then, Windows 10 will shut down by itself at the specified time point.

Final Words

Now, all the effective methods to schedule shutdown in Windows 10 are here. Try one of them if you have a need. Hope this post is helpful for you.

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About The Author

Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 5 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.

When you walk away from your PC, you should always lock it. But sometimes you forget. Here is how to make Windows 10 automatically lock when you want it to.

When you walk away from your computer, you want to make sure to lock it so other people can’t access your machine and its data. You can, of course, manually lock your Windows 10 PC down by hitting Windows Key + L or Ctrl + Alt + Del. But sometimes you forget. The cool thing is you can make Windows 10 lock automatically after a set time of inactivity. Here is a look at a few ways you can set this up.

Lock Windows 10 Automatically Using Your Screen Saver

This is probably the simplest method and an old trick. Open Start and type: change screen saver and click on the “Best Match” result.

Next, the Screen Saver Setting windows will come up. Set your screen saver to something from the dropdown list. Personally, I use the “Blank” option. But the important thing to do is make sure to check the “On resume, display logon screen” box and set the “Wait” time to however many minutes you want, and click OK.

That’s all there is to it. After the period of inactivity that you set up, your screen saver will come up and require you to enter your PIN or password to unlock it.

Make Windows 10 Lock Automatically Using SecPol

Now, time to get geekier. If you’re running the Pro version of Windows, you can use the Local Security Policy feature. Hit Windows Key + R and type: secpol.msc and click OK or hit Enter to launch it.

Open Local Policies > Security Options and then scroll down and double-click “Interactive Logon: Machine inactivity limit” from the list.

Enter the amount of time you want Windows 10 to shut down after no activity on the machine. When the Limit Properties window opens, you can type in an inactivity limit between one to 599940 seconds. Keep in mind that the max is 166 hours, and you won’t want the number of seconds too low as it would get annoying to have your PC lock all the time.

When you’re finished, you need to sign out of your session or restart your PC for the changes to take place.

When it comes to figuring out the number of seconds to use, here, it’s good to use some time unit conversions with your favorite search engine. For example, 10 minutes would be 600 seconds.

Enable Windows 10 Auto Lock Using the Registry

If you are running Windows 10 Home, you don’t have access to the Local Security Policy tool. However, you can do the same thing by hacking the Registry. But this is a method only experienced users can try. If you’re on Windows 10 Home, you might want to use the Screen Saver trick.

To get started, hit Windows Key + R and type: regedit and click OK or hit Enter to launch the Registry.

Then head to the following path:

Now create a new 32-bit DWORD Value called InactivityTimeoutSecs and give it a value between 0 or 599940 – again, that is the number of seconds of inactivity you want to pass before locking your system.

Then sign out of your session or restart your PC for the settings to go into effect. If you want to change the time, go back to the InactivityTimeoutSecs key and change it.

Whether you go the simple route or get geekier by digging into your system, this is a good thing to have set up if you walk away from your machine and forget to lock it down. You will need to change the time values depending on your situation, but having the auto-lock backup will provide extra peace of mind.

One of the first things that I configure on a new personal computer that only I use is the automatic system log on.

This bypasses the Windows logon screen completely to load the operating system directly. Handy for single user systems, not so much for multi-user systems.

The main reason why I do this is speed. It saves time and removes the hassle of having to enter the account password every time you boot the PC.

Note : I use full disk encryption on my system, so that no one — a thief for example — can get access to the system. Since it is necessary to enter a passphrase during logon, it does not really matter if the account password for the local Windows account does not need to be entered.

Windows 8 in this regard works much like Windows 7. It is still possible to configure a user account to automatically log on. Here is how.

Log on automatically to local Windows 8 accounts

Start Windows 8 and log into the user account. You are taken to the Metro UI start screen. Type netplwiz and hit enter. This should open the User Accounts screen on the Desktop.

Here you see a list of all user accounts known on the system.

Locate the “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” box at the top and uncheck it. Click the Ok button. This triggers a prompt where you need to enter the password of the username.

Just enter your password and the password confirmation in the prompt that opens. Windows “saves” that password for you, so that you do not have to enter it anymore during log on.

A click on OK completes the process. I suggest you restart the computer afterwards to see if the log on is indeed bypassed.

If it is not, you may need to open the User Accounts screen again to verify that the changes have been properly saved.

If you bypass Metro UI automatically, you can open the User Accounts configuration screen with the shortcut Win-R, and typing netplwiz in the run box.

Please note that anyone using the computer from that moment on can log on with the user account, as no password is required to do so. This makes it a security issue on multi-user systems.

Closing Words

I suggest you only do this if you have other security in place, like the aforementioned full disk encryption that protects the PC’s data from unauthorized access.

If you are using a Microsoft Account to sign in, check out this guide that explains how you can configure it to sign on automatically as well.

Create a password in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP

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What to Know

• Windows 11, 10 & 8: Open Control Panel. Select User Accounts (Windows 11/10) or User Accounts and Family Safety (Windows 8).
• Choose User Accounts >Make changes to my account in PC settings >Sign-in options.
• In the Password section, select Add. Enter a new password twice and a password hint. Select Next >Finish.

This article explains how to create a password in Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8. It also contains instructions for creating a password in Windows 7, Vista, and XP.

The specific steps you need to follow to create a Windows logon password differ somewhat depending on the operating system you’re using. See What Version of Windows Do I Have? if you’re not sure which of those several versions of Windows is installed on your computer.

How to Create a Windows 11, 10, or 8 Password

Does Windows ask you for a password when your computer starts? It should. If not, you’re leaving it wide open to anyone at your home or workplace to access your email account, saved files, and other data.

You can create a password from Control Panel. Once you do, use it to log on to Windows from that point forward, unless you remove your Windows password some day.

Open Control Panel. The easiest way to do that is by executing control from the Start menu or Run dialog box. Another way in Windows 8 is through the Power User Menu by pressing Win+X.

Select User Accounts (Windows 11/10) or User Accounts and Family Safety (Windows 8).

If you’re viewing the applets by their icons instead of in category view on Windows 11 or 10, proceed to Step 4 after choosing User Accounts. If you’re on Windows 8 in this view, you won’t even see this option; open User Accounts instead and then skip down to Step 4.

Open User Accounts.

Choose Make changes to my account in PC settings.

Select Sign-in options. If you’re using Windows 11, you’ll see this only after selecting Accounts on the left

Under the Password area, choose Add.

Enter the new password in the first two text fields. You have to do it twice to make sure you type the password correctly.

In the Password hint field, enter something that will help you remember the password should you forget it, and then select Next.

Hit Finish to complete the new password setup.

You can now exit out of any windows you opened to make the password, like Settings or PC settings.

It’s always a good idea to create a password reset disk after creating a new password. If your password is really complex and you don’t want to make a reset disk, consider storing it in a password manager.

How to Create a Windows 7 or Windows Vista Password

Open Control Panel from the Start menu.

Select User Accounts and Family Safety (Windows 7) or User Accounts (Windows Vista).

If you don’t see this link while creating or resetting your password in Windows 7, it’s because you’re using Control Panel in a view that just shows icons or links to the applets, and this one isn’t included. Open User Accounts instead, and then go on to Step 4.

Choose User Accounts.

In the Make changes to your user account area, select Create a password for your account.

Type the password you want to use in the first two text boxes.

Enter something useful in the Type a password hint text box. This step is optional but we highly recommend that you use it. If you try logging in to Windows but enter the wrong password, this hint will pop up, hopefully jogging your memory.

Choose Create password to confirm your new password.

You can now close out of any open windows you used to reach the page for changing the password.

How to Create a Windows XP Password

Navigate to Start > Control Panel.

Choose User Accounts.

If you’re in the Category View of Control Panel, you’ll need to select it again on the next screen.

Select your username in the or pick an account to change area.

Choose the Create a password link.

In the first two text boxes, enter the password you would like to start using.

Choose Create Password to confirm your new password.

The next screen might ask Do you want to make your files and folders private?. If other user accounts will be set up on this PC and you’d like to keep your personal files private, select Yes, Make Private.

If you’re not concerned about this kind of security or this account is the only account on your PC, you can choose No.

You can now close the User Accounts window and the Control Panel window.

We’ve got a beginner’s guide to Windows 10 security that will help you keep your device safe.

Rae Hodge is a senior editor at CNET, leading its coverage of privacy and cybersecurity tools. She’s a data-driven investigative journalist on the software and services team, reviewing VPNs, password managers, antivirus software, anti-surveillance methods and ethics in tech. Prior to joining CNET in 2019, Rae spent nearly a decade covering politics and protests for the AP, NPR, the BBC and other local and international outlets.

As the Windows 10 May 2021 update rolls out to devices, it’s a good time to secure your Windows 10 machine. Whether you have a new device or one you’ve recently upgraded (you can still download Windows 10 for free , by the way, now that support for Windows 7 has ended ), making sure you’re system is fully protected doesn’t have to be complicated.

You can quickly enable some of the basic security features of the operating system — and disable some of the more annoying ones — without compromising your device, all within a few minutes.

Here’s how to do it.

Create your save point

The first thing you should do with a new Windows 10 machine is enable a system restore. Think of it like a save point for your machine. If things go south while you’re trying to set up a safer machine , you get to come back to this nice fresh install and start with a clean slate. Since it’s disabled by default in Windows 10, you’ll need to manually enable it by following these steps:

1. Go to the Windows Cortana search box and type system restore.

2. Select the Control Panel and click Create a restore point.

3. When the System Properties dialog box appears, click the System Protection tab.

4. Select the drive you’ve got Windows installed on. For most people this is going to be the C drive.

5. Click Configure.

6. Click Turn on system protection, then click OK.

From here on out, you can always come back to the System Properties box and click System Restore to bring your machine back to this moment in time.

Kill the bloatware

One of the most obnoxious things about getting a new Windows machine is that it’s never really new. Even if your hands are the first to pull it out of its shiny box, both Microsoft and the manufacturer have already invariably stuffed your machine with barely-functional, unwanted, or trial-version software that will sit unused in your computer, taking up valuable memory space until it eventually becomes outdated and presents a quiet set of vulnerabilities. Let’s kill those programs:

1. Go to Start, then to Settings, then to Apps.

2. You should be looking at a list of all of your installed apps under your Apps & Features section. A right-click on any of them should present you with the option to uninstall them.

Freshman orientation for your software

Now that you’ve done some bloatware pest control, you’ll want to secure your other software and drivers by making sure they’re up to date . Doing this can eliminate the risk of infection by entire classes and families of viruses and malware. The easiest way to do this is by downloading the Windows Update Assistant and following its prompts.

If you have any trouble with the automated process, there’s a manual option:

1. Go to Start, then to Settings.

2. Select Update & Security, then select Windows Update.

Make sure all of your Windows 10 software is up to date to avoid security mishaps.

Locals only

By default, logging in to Windows 10 means using your Microsoft account — the same one you use for your Microsoft email. A feature of this type of login is that any changes you make to your settings while on your new Windows 10 machine will be automatically synced across all of your other Windows 10 devices.

That might seem like a convenient perk. It’s not. It’s essentially removing a bulkhead against multidevice compromise in the event something (or someone) affects your Microsoft account. So let’s make sure you’ve got a unique local account login to use only on your new Windows 10 machine:

1. Save any work currently open, then close the program you’re using.

2. Go to Start, then Settings.

3. Click Accounts, then click Your email and accounts on the left-side column.

4. Click the link that says Sign in with a local account instead.

5. When the prompt appears, type the password you currently use to log into your Microsoft account (the same password you currently use to unlock your laptop), and click Next.

6. A new prompt will ask you to create a username, password and password hint. Once you’ve entered the text, click Next.

7. Click Sign out and finish.

This will bring you back to the machine’s login screen, where you can enter your new password to log back in. At which point, you’ll likely also notice a much faster login.

Shut down stalkerware

Windows 10 automatically tracks your location and monitors your behavior in order to sell advertising. Here’s how to turn both of those features off to better protect your privacy:

1. Go to Start, then Settings.

2. Click Privacy, the icon that looks like a padlock.

3. Click Location, then click the On switch to turn location tracking off.

4. To disable ad tracking:

5. Go back to the Privacy screen you were just at.

6. Turn off the setting for Let apps use advertising ID to make ads more interesting to you based on your app activity.

Enable your firewall and antivirus

If you’ve used Windows for a while now, you’re familiar with the Windows Defender Security Center. It’s a good first step toward monitoring the overall health of your computer, but it’s not going to be enough. One other layer of security is already built into Windows 10, and you should take advantage of it by enabling firewall and antivirus protection. Here’s how:

1. Go back to your Control Panel, then to System and Security.

2. Click Windows Defender Firewall, then click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off in the sidebar.

3. Click the button that says Turn on Windows Defender Firewall under both the public network and private network settings.

4. Tick the box that says Notify me when Windows Defender Firewall blocks a new app.

Once your firewall is up, head over to CNET’s roundup of the best antivirus software for Windows 10 and shop around until you find one that suits your needs. You can also check out How to run Microsoft’s Windows Defender on Chrome and Firefox .

I have a habit of leaving my work-desk now and then (some might say I am careless) without locking the computer. It’s like giving an open invitation to prying eyes to come and take a deeper look while I am away. Not good, especially when you have evil roommates who could win gold medals if prank playing were a part of the Olympics.

Now, in Windows 7, there is a way to enable auto lock of the desktop when the system is idle for a specific time interval. But the way isn’t straightforward. You’d need to enable the Screen Saver and check the option that says display the logon screen while resuming windows (see the image below). This isn’t very convenient. Better to have a tool that can provide more customization options. Auto Lock is one such tool, and offers more than just auto locking of Windows desktop.

Auto Lock is a tiny and portable windows tool that lets you automatically lock, log off, restart or shutdown your computer after a specific period of time. It silently takes care of the aforementioned tasks without bothering you.

Using Auto Lock

Download the zip file and extract the contained executable file in a folder. All the program options are very clearly mentioned on the tool. There are two ways in which you can log off or lock your computer. The first one is the If Ideal while the other one is the Forced mode.

In the If Ideal mode, the tool will constantly monitor your activity on the computer and will only take the action when it’s lying ideal for a the specified time interval. In the Forced mode, whether or not you are working on your computer, the tool will take the action.

The next section is the timer where you need to specify the amount of time in which you want the action to be taken. Having done that, put a check on the Screen off and Mute System Sound option to enable these actions. The former will switch off your computer’s screen after it logs off or locks it while the latter will make sure that it happens silently with no system sound involved.

Finally, select the action you would like the program to take, like Lock PC, Log Off, Restart or Shutdown and click on the Start button. The program will now start the timer. In the Ideal mode, the timer will refresh automatically as soon as you perform an action on the computer, while in the forced mode the timer will work unconditionally.

Minimize the app to the system tray after you have configured it and started the countdown.

If you want to stop the timer, simply click on the system tray icon and click on the Stop button.

That’s all, simple and easy.

My Verdict

Though the program delivers what it promises, there are some limitations which I hope to see fixed in the next updates. Like, auto-start of the tool with Windows startup and with preconfigured time and settings. That feature would make the tool perfect but still, it’s a good deal at the right price – $0.

Last updated on 02 February, 2022

The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

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DID YOU KNOW

Apple’s first computer was priced at $666.66.

Some of us like our PC to always be ready when we enter the room. Waiting for the system to boot up can be annoying. Thankfully, there is a solution that allows you to schedule startups and shutdowns to save you time, and possibly reduce your electricity bill.

Startup on schedule

This step will vary depending on what sort of BIOS your motherboard is running. You may not have the option to power on at a specific time, although most motherboards do indeed have this option. For anyone not familiar with the term – BIOS stands for “basic input/output system” and is basically where you setup the low-level confirguration of your motherboard. It is distinct to any Operating System you may be using. Please note that the second portion of this guide regarding automatically shutting down your system is written for WIndows 7, but may also be applicable to other versions of Windows.

Step 1. Restart your computer.

Step 2. If you have a recent PC you are probably greeted with a cheesy promo screen for whatever brand motherboard is in your system. It will likely say something like “Press DEL to enter BIOS”. If you have an older system, you will see the RAM check and hard drive detection taking place. Either way, you should tap the DEL key within the first 1-3 seconds of restarting. After a few seconds, you should find yourself in the BIOS. If windows begins to start again, you’ve done something wrong and need to restart once more. If you are using a notebook computer, then you may need to Google your model to figure out what key to press to enter the BIOS.

Step 3. Depending on which brand motherboard you have, the BIOS will look different. You need to find the menu entitled Power, or Power Management. Within this should be an option labeled “Resume on RTC Alarm” or “Power on By RTC Alarm”. You should Enable this option, then set the time and frequency (e.g. “Everyday”) that you would like the system to turn on.

Step 4. Ensure that you select the “Save and Quit” option when leaving the BIOS setup. Do not just press the reset button on your computer, otherwise your settings will not be saved. From this point on, your system should start up at the time and frequency you set in the BIOS. If it does not, it’s best to consult your motherboard manual for more information.

Shutdown on Schedule

Step 1. Click the Windows button and type in “task”, the Task Scheduler application should show up in the list. Run it.

Step 2. In the right-hand panel, click on “Create Basic Task”

Step 3. Enter an appropriate name and description (e.g. Scheduled system shutdown), click Next.

Step 4. Select the frequency you wish the shutdown to occur (e.g. Daily), click Next.

Step 5. Select the time you wish the shutdown to occur. (e.g. 1:00 AM), click Next.

Step 6. Select Start a program, click Next.

Step 7. Type in “shutdown.exe” in the Progra/script box and “/s” in the Add arguments box. Click Next.

Step 8. Click Finish.

Take a deep breath… assuming you followed all of the above steps correctly, your system should now startup and shutdown on schedule!

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In Windows 10 and Windows 11, you can easily dodge the login password—completely or by setting up an alternative means of authentication.

Having to enter your Windows password each time you boot up can be a hassle. If you’re in a hurry, you can easily mistype it (more than once), and that gets annoying.

The main purpose of the password is to protect your PC from prying eyes. If you work in an office or other location with people milling about, you’ll want to secure Windows so no one can peek at your documents, files, and other information. And if you carry your laptop with you on the road, you need to make sure no one can access your information if your device ever gets lost or stolen.

But if you want to sneak past the requirement of entering your password each time your PC wakes up, there are a couple of options available, courtesy of Microsoft’s Windows Hello feature.

In Windows 10 and 11, you can set up a PIN or a picture password. And if your computer has a supported fingerprint reader or camera, you can turn to fingerprint scanning or facial recognition. A physical security key is yet another option supported by Windows Hello. For added security, you can even tell Windows not to display a password option at the sign-in screen.

What if you want to bypass the login screen altogether? That’s possible but it depends on the type of account you use. With a Microsoft account, you have to authenticate yourself at the login screen, if not with a password, then with a PIN or other means. But if you’re using a local account, you can evade the login screen and jump directly to your Windows desktop each time you boot up.

The processes for setting up alternative means of authentication and bypassing the login screen are virtually the same in both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Let’s see how this works.

Set Up a PIN

In Windows 10 or 11, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. If you haven’t already set up a PIN, that’s the first task to accomplish. Select the entry for Windows Hello PIN. In Windows 10, click Add. In Windows 11, click Set up.

Click Next and then enter your password. Before you create and type a PIN, check the box for Include letters and symbols and then click the link for PIN requirements. Follow the requirements to determine the type of PIN you’re able to create. Type and then retype the PIN. Click OK. Your PIN is then set up.

Add a Picture Password

To add a picture password, select the entry for Picture Password and click Add. Enter your password if requested. Windows displays an example image, but you have to choose one of your own images to set this up.

To upload a different image, such as one of your own photos, click Choose picture button and select an image from your PC. Drag the new image to position it and then select the Use this picture button to confirm your choice.

When ready, use your mouse or finger on a touch-screen device to draw a combination of circles, straight lines, and taps. You’ll need to create three types of gestures, one after the other. Remember the size, position, and direction of each gesture as collectively they will serve as your password. After you create the first gesture, you’re prompted to create the second one, and after that, the third one.

Confirm each of the three gestures and then click Finish.

Set Up the Fingerprint Reader

If your PC includes a Windows Hello-compatible fingerprint reader, click the entry for Windows Hello Fingerprint and click Set up. Follow the steps to register your fingerprint by swiping or pressing your finger on the scanner.

Next, if your computer is equipped with a Windows Hello-compatible camera, select the entry for Windows Hello Face and click Set up. Look at the camera to register your face and complete the process.

If you have a Windows Hello-supported physical security key, you can also set up that type of device. In that case, plug the key into a USB slot on your computer. Select the entry for Security Key and click Manage. Follow the steps to set up the key.

How to Unlock Windows Vista Password If Lost Password

Windows 8.1 Password Reset – Forgot My Password for Windows 8.1

Getting locked out of your own laptop has become a very common issue these days.

The reason can be many! Whether you have forgotten the password or lost it, it is very troublesome to get into laptop without password.

A large number of Windows users face this same problem, and in the end, they turn to the internet, asking certain questions like “How to open laptop without password?”

As mentioned before, this is a widespread issue, and there are available fixes. But they vary depending on the version of Windows you are using, the moment you lost the password.

A few effective fixes are detailed below in this article for your convenience.

Method 1: Get Into Laptop Using Command Prompt

One of the best ways to open laptop without password is using Command Prompt. The Command prompt comes with every version of Windows, and it can be used to bypass Windows password to get into your laptop again. In this particular method, we will use the Safe Mode along with Command Prompt. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Firstly, you need to restart your laptop. When it boots up again, you need to hold the “F8” key to access the “Advanced Boot Options.”

Step 2: Now, use the “Arrow” keys to select “Safe Mode with Command Prompt” and then hit “Enter” to execute.

Step 3: Now, the hidden Administrator account will be available. You need to log in with that account.

Step 4: After accessing the system, the Command Prompt will be launched immediately with Admin privileges.

Step 5: Type the following code in the Command Prompt and run it:

“net user username new_password”

Please note that this is an effective method, but this method won’t work without a hidden Administrator account.

Method 2: Get Into Locked Laptop with Other Admin Account

This is another effective way to access your laptop without password. But it will require a built-in Administrator account. If you have one, you will be able to use that account to unlock your locked laptop. Here’s how to get into laptop without password:

Step 1: You need to type “lusmgr.msc” in the “Start” then hit “Enter” to execute.

Step 2: Now, the “Local Users and Groups” will pop-up on the screen.

Step 3: Expand the Users to view all the user accounts. Then, find the locked account, right-click on it, and select “Set Password.”

Step 4: Then, click “Proceed.” After that, you need to type your new password in the boxes to confirm them.

After you hit “Enter,” the password for your user account will get reset, and you will be able to open your laptop using the new password.

Method 3: Get Into Locked Laptop with Windows Password Recovery

It will be extremely easy for you to access laptop without password if you are open to using a third-party professional password recovery program to unlock the laptop.

Some users are not okay with using an outside program on their device but you can be sure that Windows Password Recovery is an excellent program designed with the sole purpose of unlocking a Windows device.

• It can recover forgotten password for all Windows in a few minutes.
• It can create a new administrator account easily without logon.
• It can create USB flash drive disk or CD/DVD Disc.
• Support Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, NT.
• Support Windows Server 2016, 2012, 2008(R2), 2003(R2), 2000, NT.

The operating procedure is straightforward, and the interface is also very user-friendly. It is specifically designed for the job at hand, and you can expect a stellar recovery rate. Here’s how to open laptop without password using Windows Password Recovery:

Step 1: First, you need to download the program on a different computer and launch it.

Step 2: On the main page of the program you will be asked to select a medium to make the password reset disk. You need to choose USB.

Step 3: Now, connect a blank USB drive to that computer and click “Begin Burning” from the main interface.

Step 4: The burning process ends in a minute, and then click “OK” to exit.

Step 5: Now, you need to connect that USB drive to the locked laptop.

Step 6: Now, restart the laptop and then access the Boot Menu. Select the USB option in the Boot menu and then hit “Enter” to execute.

Step 7: Now, the recovery program will load on your laptop from the USB drive. You need to choose the Windows System you are using and the locked user account.

Step 8: After that, click “Reset Password.”

The program will start working immediately. After a successful reset, you need to click “Reboot” on the program interface to restart the Laptop.

Method 4: Reset the Locked Laptop to Factory Settings

These days Windows 10 devices are equipped with a built-in Factory Reset procedure that even works if you don’t have the password for your user account. This is a very subtle and effective addition to the new version of Windows.

It is quite effective in certain situations, but it also resets the device, changing everything the same as the day you bought the device. So, keeping in mind the data loss factor of this method, here’s how to get into laptop without password by factory reset:

Step 1: Open the laptop, reach the login screen. While pressing the “Shift” key on the keyboard, restart the device.

Step 2: Keep holding the key until the “Troubleshoot” screen pops up.

Step 3: Click on “Troubleshoot” and then hit “Enter.” In the following panel, select “Reset this PC.”

Step 4: Again, you will be faced with 2 options, but choose “Remove Everything.”

After selecting this option, the computer will reboot everything, and when it starts again, it will start resetting the device.

Conclusion

All the above procedures will be extremely effective to login into laptop without password, and you won’t have to ask, “how can I open my laptop without password” anymore. Although the methods are effective, there are limitations with almost every one of them. Take the Factory Reset as an example, it is great, and it will probably take only 20 minutes to reset the laptop, and then you will be able to access the laptop again. But all your saved files will be lost forever. So, compared to all of them, using Windows Password Recovery Tool will provide you with better security for your files and effective password recovery.