How to Set a Password for Your User Account in Windows 7

Are there other people in your house or office that you do not want to be able to use your computer?

One simple way to restrict access in Windows 7 is to set a password for your user account. This password will need to be entered each time someone turns on your computer or attempts to log into it.

Setting a password to use your computer may initially seem like a tedious extra step that lengthens the amount of time that you need to wait to use the computer, but the privacy that you gain from its addition is definitely worth the minor inconvenience.

Add a Password to Your Windows 7 Computer

The steps below will require you to enter a password each time you log into your computer, or anytime that your computer locks after a period of inactivity.

There is a step during password creation where you can choose a password hint. This step is optional, but can be helpful if you are worried that you might forget the password at some point.

Step 1: Click the Start button at the lower-left corner of your screen.

click the start button

Step 2: Type “user accounts” into the search field at the bottom of the Start menu, then press Enter on your keyboard.

type user accounts into search field

Step 3: Click the Create a password for your account link at the center of the window.

click the create a password for your account link

Step 4: Type your desired password into the New password field, then re-type it into the Confirm new password field.

enter and re-enter your password

Step 5 (optional): Type a password hint into the Type a password hint field.

create a password hint

Step 6: Click the Create password button to apply the password to your computer. The next time you need to unlock your computer, you will need to enter the password that you just created.

Note that you can force your computer to lock by pressing the Windows key and the L key on your keyboard simultaneously.

Now that you know how to set a password for your user account in Windows 7, you can make it more difficult for other people to access your files.

Is the taskbar that is usually visible at the bottom of your screen no longer there? Learn how to unhide your Windows 7 taskbar so that you can use it for easier navigation between applications.

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