jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

My laptop wanted a password after updating Windows. I hadn't been using a password, so I had to do some research. I have two sets of directions below: how to get in when you don't know the password and how to avoid the need for a password or a PIN. You will have to know the answers to your security questions, though.

Windows Password after Update

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/i-cannot-login-after-windows-10-update-says/7e799c58-af65-4836-b8f4-7065cba00883

If Windows asks for a password, do the following.

Boot into Safe Mode.
1. With the computer turned on, hold down the Shift key while clicking the Power button on the screen (probably bottom right).
2. Continue holding down the Shift key while clicking Restart.
3. Continue holding down the Shift key until the Advanced Recovery Options menu appears.
4. Click Troubleshoot
5. Click Advanced options
6. Click Startup Settings
7. Click Restart
8. Press (4) to Enable Safe Mode
9. Windows 10 will start in Safe Mode.
10. Log in. At this point, you should be able to click “Forgot Password.”
11. You should be presented with your security questions. If yu get these right, you can enter a new password.

If you are still unable to log in, see the following:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

Start Your Computer without Password or PIN

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-launch-windows-without-entering-a-password#:~:text=At%20the%20Open%20field%20in,password%20to%20use%20this%20computer.

1. Press the Windows key and R.
2. In the box that appears, type netplwiz
3. The User Accounts Control Panel, will appear. Select the account you wish to use to log in automatically.
4. Uncheck the box above that says Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer. Click OK.
5. Enter your password once and then a second time to confirm it. Click OK.
6. Reboot your PC. You’ll now bypass the login screen as well as the Lock screen and automatically arrive at the desktop in Windows 10 or Windows 11.

KillroyII Loc: Middle Georgia

Thanks… a past update got rid of my eliminating the need for a password for my desktop. My laptop has never been set up to eliminate the need for password. I keep thinking I will research and figure out how I did it before… you took care of that.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

The easy thing to do is right your passwords down into a small notebook and then put it somewhere so people will not see it until you need it again. You have way to many problems with passwords.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Why do you think you need a password on your computers? I have never had a password on my computers startup in over 35 years.

KillroyII Loc: Middle Georgia

Not sure if you were responding to me, or to jerryc41, but in both cases we do not desire to have a password.

Also, in both cases it was Windows causing there to be a password… and jerryc41 did the work to figure out how to eliminate the password requirement… we agree with you… we don’t desire to have a password.

Of course some people may choose to have a password… it’s their choice based on their opinion/circumstances… if it a personal computer. It was my experience, at work, sign in processes were a requirement… with some cases requiring more than a password.

DAN Phillips Loc: Graysville, GA

honestly! They should name a section after Jerryc41, devoted entirely to him and his rambling!

KillroyII Loc: Middle Georgia

That would be OK with me. I would visit it often… in this case it saved me some time. Many times the posts are interesting and/or informative… or funny.

However, jerry41c should have a say… he may not wish to commit to that… unless he was paid, by UHH, for his efforts.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

No, I haven't been able to convince them that paying me would be a good idea.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I believe you need a password on your computer just because there are a lot of hackers out there looking for computers to take over.

Windows and MacOS both have ways to save your passwords for recall later.

About 20 years ago I needed a password for a new computer at work. I just sat down and typed some random letters with my hands (I'm a 10 finger typist). That was my password. I didn't know what my password was: the password memory was in my fingers. When I really needed to know my password, I had to open a text editor and type it in.

But the computer isn't the only thing you need a password for. A lot on online sites require a password to use. And some of the more obnoxious ones require you to change it on occasion. About 20 years ago I just had passwords written on a piece of paper. But around that time my desk got so cluttered that I couldn't find it. So I put them all on a spreadsheet. When I get a new password for a new site I add it to the spreadsheet, change the name of the spreadsheet to include the current date, and save it to all my computers. You can define a password for your spreadsheet, so now you only have to remember one password. The spreadsheet also stores program installation keys and other things I might need to remember.

My spreadsheet is about 4 pages long now. Every so often I have to go through it and delete things I haven't used in several years. But having the date in the file name lets me choose the most recent one, while preserving the archeology of the previous ones.

Laramie Loc: Tempe

Setup a password, then define a PIN. Easy Peasy.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

I was not referring to sites that require a password in order to be able to use it. I was referring to passwords to get your computer to completely allow the operating system to start up completely. Ye, there are many computers out there now for hackers to sneak into. I have been into computers ever since that first Apple II machine, and I have read many stories about computers being hacked. That problem is usually because people really have no idea how to safely use their computers or know which e-mails they get to steer away from and never opening them out of curiosity, or how to check for keyboard loggers (a very old hackers tool), or mainly, know very powerful software to use to help block bad things getting onto their computer in the first place. One of the worse things to do is to let your computer to go to sleep instead of shutting it down because your own network can easily open your computer back up even when you are asleep in the middle of the night and let hackers have the ability to attempt to do bad things to your computer and data. How many of you have gone to your computer in the morning with that first cup of wake me up coffee and discovered that Microsoft or Apple has updated your computer during the night and at the same time screwed up some of your software which now doesn't work any more? People put any kind of protective software on their computers just because it is cheaper and they haven't even gone any where to see which software is highly rated at doing what it is supposed to do. Go to a site like "Tom's Hardware or Software"; sorry it has been so long since I have needed to go there that I don't remember the correct name,for the site but I know a lot of Hoggers on here know what I'm talking about, HELP Please. I have learned how to use my own computers, that I have built myself, safely and what kind of software is really very good at keeping bad things off of my computers. For years all I have used to protect my computers are what follows:

1. ESET Internet Security - It protects against bad sites, viruses, paying bills online, shopping online, personal banking, and many other problems. If you look on places like Amazon or even their own site you can find many deals with discounts on their programs.

2. I use CCleaner every night to clean up junk on my computer, that if left on your computer, eventually will start to slow your computer down. Yes, I use it to clean up junk left in my registry about once every week without any problems. Jerry say's that you should not mes with your registry because it can really mess your computer up. This is true, but anything that CCleaner offers to delete from your computer reminds and recommends that before it removes any of that junk you should let it backup and let it save that data and files to a folders that you can put it right back on your computer in case something stops working after cleaning the registry, I HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO USE ANY OF THOSE BACKUPS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEVER CREATED A PROBLEM WITH THEIR SOFTWARE. And I use the FREE VERSION. When I start CCleaner I use the "analyze" button to let CCleaner show me what is junk to be deleted, then I use the ""Clean or Delete" button. After that I go to the top left operation, and go through that operation to finish the cleanup. I do not use the automatic cleaning operations, instead I use the manual operations for those cleaning operations so that I can see what CCleaner has chosen to clean and if I see something that I know that I want to keep I can uncheck it before the cleaning operation. The new operations that they now have on CCleaner like Driver update recommendations and other updates I do not use through CCleaner. If I want updates I will do them myself outside of CCleaner.

3. I used to use MalWareBytes also, but I have found that I have not needed it for many years since using ESET and CCleaner.

I hope those that are not familiar with these software programs will at least read about them, use common sense in your computers, and give them a chance to help you keep your computers safe. They have worked for my for many, many years.