Computer protection is always given a lot of attention. To protect yourself from viruses, install antiviruses, and to protect yourself from unwanted or very curious users, you can set a password and thereby block access to information stored on the computer from prying eyes.
In this article, we will try to explain in an accessible form how to set a password on a computer when logging in, using Windows 7 and 10 as an example.

Setting a password in Windows 7
First you need to get into the settings. Click on the “Start” button and select the “Control Panel” link from the list.

If in “PU” the icon display type is selected “Category”, then you need to find and click on “User Accounts and Family Safety” in the list and then “Change Windows Password”.

If the “Large Icons” or “Small Icons” view is selected, then look for “User Accounts”.

Afterwards you will be taken to the “Making changes to user accounts” section, where the first link will be “Create a password for your account”.

Now we have reached the finish line. In the “New Password and Confirm Password” field, enter the previously invented Password, the main thing is not to forget to write it down. In the “Enter a password hint” field, you can enter a cheat sheet in case you forget your password. All you have to do is click on the “Create password” button and the next time you log in, you will need to enter a password to continue booting your computer.

How to set a password on your computer when you log in to Windows 10
On the now popular “ten”, setting a password and not only it is done differently than in previous operating systems from Microsoft. For demonstration, we installed Win 10 on a virtual machine.
Open “Start” and find the “Settings” shortcut that looks like a gear and click on it.

Once in the updated “Windows Settings” control panel, look for the “Accounts” section.

After going to the side menu on the left, click on the “Login Options” item and in the section that opens we find the inscription “Password”, and under it the “Add” button

In the form that appears, fill in the fields in the same way as for Windows 7. Click “Next” and “Finish”.

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 on “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.

All the best! In this article you will learn how to set a password on your computer when logging in. If you want to protect your own data from others, you can set a password on your computer, which will be requested during the transition to your account. This article will tell you how to do this in operating systems such as Windows 10, 8, 7, and also XP.

How to set a password on your computer when logging into Windows 8 or 10

To set a password for a computer running Windows 8 or 10, go to Settings. To do this, just go to the Start menu and find the treasured item there. Let's call it "Parameters". As for Windows 8, options can be accessed through the side menu on the right.

After opening the settings, you need to go to the accounts section, and then to the login options. This is where you have to set a password, which will be requested upon login. To do this, just click on the “Add password” button.

You will have to enter the password itself twice, as well as a hint for it once.

After this, a password will be set, and without entering it, it will be impossible to log into your account.

How to set a password on your computer when logging in to Windows 7

If you want to set a password for a computer that runs the Windows 7 operating system, you will have to go to the control panel, find the corresponding item, and click on the “Start” button.

• After opening the control panel, you need to go to the section called
• "Accounts and Family Safety"
• and then - to the sub-item “User Accounts”.
• As a result, a window will open in front of you with all the settings for your account. If you set out to set a login password only for your own account, you need to click on the link “Create a password for your own account.”
• However, if you are faced with the task of setting a password for one of the other users, you need to click on “Manage another account” by selecting the desired user. However, it should be borne in mind that this cannot be done without administrator rights.

Bingo! Password saved. Now it will be simply impossible to log into your account without entering it.

Instructions for setting a password for Windows XP users

If you are a user of the Windows XP operating system, to set a password, first of all, you, just like users of other versions, will have to go to the control panel.

After you have switched to the control panel, you need to open the section called “User Accounts”.

Next, you need to select an account that should be password protected when logging in. Please note that you always have the option to set a password. However, to set passwords for other existing profiles, you must have administrator rights.

After selecting an account, you need to click on the link called “Create a password.”

The last step is to fill out the form. Here you need to type the desired password twice, as well as a hint for it. When all fields are filled in, click on the “Create password” button.

That's all, I hope you learned how to set a password on your computer when logging in. Now, when you log into your computer under your own account, you will see a field for printing a password in it.

Often users find themselves in a situation where they need to hide the contents of a folder or file from prying eyes, so the question arises of how to put a password on a folder.

Unfortunately, the developers of the Windows operating system did not provide for such a function as setting a password for individual user files and directories.

The OS can only be configured to prohibit certain users from using or viewing a specific type of directory, file or program.

Setting a password for a folder is necessary if:

• you want to hide your files from unauthorized access by others;
• want to protect your personal data from illegal copying or distribution.

Set a password for the archive

Using this method, you can password-protect a folder with any type of file, while it is possible to hide the very fact that the archive contains files of a certain format.

The window for entering the code will pop up even before the archive opens, so it is impossible to find out about its contents if the user does not know the combination. A password for an archive without programs is the easiest way to protect folders.

Advice! The function of setting a password for an archive does not require preliminary installation of additional software; you only need to have pre-installed free programs WinRAR or 7-ZIP.

To add the desired folder to the archive and password protect it, follow the instructions below:

• Right-click on the folder you are interested in and add it to the archive, as shown in the figure;

• Immediately after you select the “add to archive” action, a window will appear with various settings for the parameters of the created archive. Go to the tab with additional parameters and find the button to set a password, it is shown in the figure;

• Click on the button that allows you to set a password.

After this action, a small input window will immediately appear. The new code must be entered twice (to ensure correct entry). You can also check the box next to the option to encrypt file names.

Thus, third-party users will not be able to find out anything about the type of files being hidden.

The process of setting a password for an archive

After trying to open the archive, we see that you first need to enter the code and only then can you view and edit its contents.

This method of installing the code is the simplest and most effective. However, to implement it you will need to have one of the archivers on your computer.

Also, if the code is forgotten or lost, restoring the contents of the archive will become quite a difficult task for the user. This is why you should store a backup copy of the protected files, for example, on cloud storage.

Using the above method, you can also password-protect an archive on a flash drive.

Using PasswordProtect USB

On the Internet you can find a huge amount of third-party software that can cope with the task of installing code on the system object you need.

A large proportion of such programs, unfortunately, can harm your files rather than protect them from unauthorized access by other users.

This article presents the most popular and common types of software that have been tested by a large number of users, so these programs will not harm your computer and files that need to be password protected or hidden.

This program is available for download and installation on a PC and is compatible with Windows 10.

PasswordProtect USB allows you to password protect folders and remove the previously installed encryption. The application has an intuitive user interface, so working with this utility will not be a difficult task for the user.

You can start the code installation process not only using the main program window, but also using the computer desktop.

After you have installed this software on your operating system, the installation function will be displayed in the menu of each folder, you just need to right-click on it, as shown in the figure:

• The next step is to enter the code in the window that opens. Enter it twice to eliminate the possibility of error.

• After installing the code, a sign will be displayed on the folder icon, indicating that the folder is protected. When you try to open a password-protected folder, the following dialog box will appear. This is the most common way to put a code on photo folders.

Folder Lock Software

This program can protect a folder on a laptop or PC. Supported operating systems: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10. The utility encrypts the folder itself, without an archive.

You can put the code on a folder with absolutely any content: files, photos and documents.

To install it to a folder using this program, follow the instructions:

• Download and install Folder Lock;
• Enter a password in the text field, which will be the folder password;
• Click OK;
• Drag the desired folder to the main program window or use the “add” icon;

• After the folder has been added, it immediately becomes locked and can only be opened by a person who knows the password.

Set a password for a network folder

You can also password-protect a network folder. To do this, you can also download separate programs, for example:

You can also use the program Folder Guard(

In our age of information and modern technology, the protection of personal data should occupy an important place in the life of every person. Each of us is already accustomed to setting a password on a smartphone, but rarely does anyone create a password for a PC. And in vain, because through a computer, for example, through a browser and its history, you can find out a lot of information about us and not only find out, but also use it against us. This is why it is important to password your computer. In this material about how to set a password on a PC. All instructions will be given for the most popular platform today, Windows 7.

How to set a password on a PC: methods

Strictly speaking, there are only two ways to create a password for a computer - the first: by setting a password on a personal account, the second: by locking the BIOS. However, before we tell you how to set a password on your computer using these methods, we will make a small digression and briefly tell you what an account and BIOS are, so that when creating a password, you still understand what we are dealing with.

— What is a user account?

Each computer, even if it is called personal, is designed for autonomous use by several users. Any user can create and set up their own account and customize it to their needs, including setting a personal password.

In simple terms, a personal account is an opportunity to create several different interfaces on one PC, each of which will be optimally tailored to the needs of a particular user.

— What is BIOS?

BIOS is a special program built into the motherboard that loads on our PC even before the system boots and instructs the system with what parameters it needs to boot. After we press the PC power button, the BIOS is loaded first, and only then, if all BIOS settings are correct, the operating system starts loading. You can read more about what a BIOS is in our material - “”.

How to make a password on a computer using account password creation?

In order to set a password on your computer by password-protecting your account, follow the following instructions:

1. Click on the “Start” button, click on the “Control Panel” item.

2. Opposite the “View” parameter, set the value to “Small icons”, then click on the “User Accounts” item.

4. In the “New Password” column, set the secret combination, and in the “Password Confirmation” column, repeat the password.

If desired, in the “Enter a password hint” column, indicate a hint, but keep in mind that the hint can be viewed by any PC user, so it should only very subtly hint at your password, and not give it away completely.

5. Click the “Create password” button.

6. That's it! The account is password protected.

Now let's check if the password is saved, for this:

1. Click on the “Start” button, click the arrow after the “Shut down” button.

2. In the drop-down menu, select the line “Change user”.

3. As you can see, we are required to enter a password, and if we enter it incorrectly, we are given a hint.

How to create a password on a computer using BIOS?

In order to set a password on your computer using the BIOS, first of all, you need, of course, to go into the BIOS. Read in detail how to do this in the article “How to open the BIOS” (link above).

Once you are in the BIOS, follow these instructions:

1. Open the Security tab.

2. Find the Set HDD Password column, click Enter and enter the desired password twice.

3. Save your changes.

Now, when you try to turn on the PC, you will see the following message.

To remove the password:

1. Go to BIOS.

2. Open the Security tab.

3. Find the Set HDD Password column and click Enter.

4. In the Enter Current Password column, enter the set password, and the Enter New Password and Confirm New Password columns must be left empty; to do this, press Enter twice and save the changes.

How reliable is the BIOS protection?

At first glance, it seems that the password set in the BIOS is a very serious measure, but if the user who wants to access your PC is an advanced one and knows that all BIOS settings can be reset by simply removing the battery from the motherboard, it becomes clear that this is wrong.

Of course, in order to remove the battery you will have to open the system unit, but who will stop at such an essentially not very difficult task if they want to gain access to important information.

Results

So, now you know how to set a password on your PC and you can choose which method of protection you prefer. To be sure, no one forbids using both methods. We hope your data will be safe and inviolable!