How to Secure your account by Password in Windows 8

Keeping your account private with a Password

Because Windows 8 lets many people use the same computer, how do you stop Rob from reading Diane's love letters to Jason Bieber? How can Josh keep Grace from deleting his Star Wars movie trailers? Using a password solves some of those problems.

In fact, a password is more important than ever in Windows 8 because some accounts can be tied to a credit card. By typing a secret password when signing in, you enable your computer to recognize you and nobody else. If you protect your username with a password, nobody can access your files. And nobody can rack up charges for computer games while you are away from home.

To Set up or change your password, follow these steps:

1. Summon the Charms bar and click the Settings icon
    You fetch the Charms bar differently depending on whether you are using a      mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen:

• Mouse: Move the mouse pointer to the top-right or bottom-right corner of your screen.
• Keyboard: Hold down the Windows key press the letter C.
• Touchscreens:- Slide your finger from the screen's right edge Inward.

    When the Charms bar appears, click the settings icon. The Settings screen appears.

2. Click the words Change PC Settings at the very bottom of the Settings        screen.

     The PC Settings screen appears.

3. Click the Users category on the left and then click the Change Your              Password button. Or, to create a password, click the Create a                      Password button.

    You may need to type your existing password to gain entrance.

4. Type a Password that will be easy to remember.

     Choose something like the name of your favorite vegetable, for example, or      your dental floss brand. To beef up its security level, capitalize                      some letters and embed a number in the password, like Glide2 or                     Ask4More.

5. If asked, type that same password into the Retype Password box, So         Windows knows you are spelling it correctly.

6. In the Password Hint box, type a hint that reminds you- and only you-        of your password.

     Windows won't let you type in your exact password as a hint. You have to        be a bit more creative.

7. Click the Next button, and click Finish.

     Suspect you have botched something during this process? Click Cancel to        return to Step 3 and either start over or exit.

After you have created the password, Windows 8 begins asking for your password whenever you sign in.

• Passwords are Case-Sensitive. The words Caviar and Caviar are considered two different passwords.
• Windows also offers to Create a Picture Password in Step 3, where you drag a finger or mouse over a photo in a certain sequence. Then, instead of entering a password, you redraw the sequence on the sign-in picture.
• Another new option in step 3 is Create a PIN. A PIN is a four-digit code like the ones punched into a Automated Teller Machines. The disadvantage of a PIN? There is no password hint to a four-digit password.