Tip #76 - Lock Your Windows

100 Computer Tips in 100 Days

Tip #76 - Lock Your Windows

Windows Key

Quick, someone is coming, lock your windows! Or maybe you have to dash off and you don’t want to close or hide your windows, but you do want to lock your windows so that no one can access your computer. Well if either of these scenarios sounds good to you then you need to know about Windows + L. I’m referring to the Windows key, the one with the Windows logo on it.

When you try it you will find it gets you to the sign on screen. If you have added a password to your account your computer will be safe until you return. If you haven’t added a password but would like to add one now, click the Start button in the lower left of your screen and choose Control Panel, User Accounts and Family Safety. Click on User Accounts and then Change Your Windows Password.  Lastly click, Create a Password for your account. You’ll have to type the new password twice. Now when you lock your computer you will have to enter the password to unlock it.

 

On the Apple you have a couple of ways to go to lock your computer. One way is to activate a padlock that will be displayed on the Right Hand menu bar and the other is to set a hot corner.

If you choose "Show Status in Menu Bar" from Keychain Access, Preferences, General you will get a little padlock in the Right Hand menu bar. This has a menu "Lock Screen, …" which will automatically switch to the screensaver and require entry of a password to get back (it does allow switching to another user if Fast User Switching is enabled).

The second Apple strategy is to set a “hot corner” for your screen saver so that when you drag your mouse to that corner the screen saver comes on. You also need to set your screen saver so that it requires a password to return to your computer session.

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, select System Preferences, then click the Mission Control icon. Click the “Hot Corners” button, and you’ll see a new window with four pull-down menus, one for each of your hot corners.

Select an option for one or all four corners. Among your choices: Mission Control, Application Windows (which highlights all the open windows for the application you’re currently using), Desktop (revealing the desktop), Dashboard (which turns on the Mac’s panel of “dashboard” widgets), Launchpad (the new iPhone-like launcher for the apps installed on your Mac), Start (or Disable) Screen Saver, and Put Display to Sleep.

Remember that you can choose the same action for two or more hot corners, if you wish. And to keep a corner cold, just choose the “-” option.  When you’re done, click the OK button.