Create Password for XP & Vista

To create a password for log on to your Windows based computer so that others will not have access to your files and folders.

I suggest that you follow these steps to create a password for logon:

I have provided steps for Windows XP and Windows Vista. Please select the appropriate steps to be performed.

On Windows XP operating system:

1. Click on “Start” and then “Control Panel”.
2. Click on the “User Accounts” link.

Note: If you're viewing the Classic View of Control Panel, double-click on the User Accounts icon.

3. In the “Pick an account to change” area of the “User Accounts” window, click on your Windows XP user name.
4. Click on the “Create a password” link.
5. In the first two text boxes, enter the password you would like to start using.

Entering the password twice helps to make sure that you typed your password correctly.

6. Click the “Create Password” button to confirm your new password.
7. The next screen asks “Do you want to make your files and folders private?”.
• If other user accounts will be setup on this PC and you'd like to keep your personal files private from those users, click on the “Yes, Make Private button.”
• If you're not concerned about this kind of security or this account is the only account on your PC, there's no need to make your files private. In this case, click on the No button.
8. You can now close the User Accounts window and the Control Panel window.
9. Now that your Windows XP account has a password setup, you must use this password to log on to Windows XP from this point forward.

For Windows Vista operating system:

1. Click on “Start” and then “Control Panel.”
2. Click on the “User Accounts and Family Safety” link.

Note: If you're viewing the Classic View of Control Panel, you won't see this link. Simply double-click on the “User Accounts icon” and proceed to Step 4.

3. Click on the “User Accounts” link.
4. In the “Make changes to your user account” area of the “User Accounts” window, click the “Create a password for your account” link.
5. In the first two text boxes, enter the password you would like to start using.

Entering the password twice helps to make sure that you typed your password correctly.

6. Click the “Create password” button to confirm your new password.
7. You can now close the “User Accounts” window.
8. Now that your Windows Vista account has a password setup, you must use this password to log on to Windows Vista from this point forward.