Windows 10 Sign In Options
James Hutchinson
Offering IT Managed services for businesses with 25 - 100 employees | Montreal and Ottawa
In this Tip we’ll only be focusing on three of them:
- Require sign-in – toggles whether a password is required when your system wakes from Sleep Mode
- Password – Allows you to Create/Change a password
- PIN – Allows you to create a 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) to use in place of a Password
Require Sign In:
If your computer is in a public environment, such as work, then you may want to have Windows ask for a password when it wakes up. If at home, then it may be less critical.
Password:
Choosing this option will bring up a window asking you to confirm your current password. If you haven’t already set one up, now is the time to do so. In any case, once Microsoft is happy (ie, has verified) with the password you’ve entered, you’ll have the opportunity to change it.
Try to choose a strong password that is easy for you to remember but hard for anyone else to guess. Making it easy to type is also a plus. Don’t use your birthday, your pet’s name, or anything else easily guessable by a co-worker or family member.
PIN:
A PIN is a convenient 4-digit number that you can use to access your computer. In most cases this is much easier than trying to remember a long, complex password.
A PIN can actually be better for gaining access to your computer than a password alone.
A Microsoft password will be used to gain access to your computer, your Microsoft account, and any other Windows 10 device you own. A PIN, on the other hand, is device-specific. You can use a unique PIN for each device you own. This means that if your laptop is stolen, and the thief somehow figures out the PIN, he will have access to that stolen laptop, but he will not be able to use that PIN for all your other devices. This presumes you have used a different PIN for each device (a good idea).
If you choose to click the Add Button, Windows 10 will prompt you for your current password and, once verified, you can add a PIN. Once a PIN is established, you will be prompted for that easy-to-remember 4-digit number next time, instead of an arduous, convoluted password.