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Dear PC Doctor,
I just got a new desktop computer at work. It has Windows 8 and it is really very different. This might be an easy question for you: how do I lock my computer?
Thanks, Gary
Dear Gary,
Windows 8 looks pretty cool, but it sure is not intuitive. One of the easiest ways to lock a Windows computer is to hit the Windows key and L key on your keyboard at the same time. This works across all versions of Windows, from XP to Vista to Windows 7.
However, Windows 8 has a few new features. You can set beautiful wallpapers for your lock screen and set up specific apps that can run while the computer is locked and then display important information on the lock screen. The calendar app is great since it will show you upcoming appointments right there on the lock screen.
Setup is easy to find under PC Settings. The initial screen when you open PC Settings will display the lock screen setup. If you want to set up a password, you will find that under the User settings. There is a pretty cool option for a “picture password” where you use a picture to make a gesture based password. This works better on touch-screen tablets but it is usable on a desktop computer too.
PC Doctor
Until next time.. happy computing!
Posted: to Athol Library News on Mon, Dec 10, 2012
Updated: Thu, Dec 20, 2012