Should I Have A Password For The

[emmie]

laptop, because now i just open the laptop up and go, should i have one for
security sake.

[Bazile]

If other people can access and use it , then yes

[Jackdaw33]

I don't have one because I'm the only person who has access to my laptop.

[davegosling]

Are you its only user?
Do you take it out and about with you?
Does it have sensitive or financial data on it?

[ummmm]

Depends what you use it for and who else has access to it.

I would though.

[hc4361]

Do you use it out and about? Could someone access it that you don't want to?

A password won't be too much of a nuisance and will keep your files more secure.

[emmie]

no one else uses it, and i don't take it out, at least not now.

[hc4361]

I like a password just in case I have a burglar. You never know

[emmie]

i wouldn't know how to set a password, unless its easy. I do have some sensitive info on here like access to my bank statements, but for those you need my passcode.

[Voltage]

i do and im the only one who uses the laptop

[davegosling]

In which case, flip a coin! Any determined hacker can bypass any Windows login password in a matter of seconds, and there are any number of utilities which can do the same:
http://www.isumsoft.com/windows-password-refixer/

[Jackdaw33]

Are you its only user?
Do you take it out and about with you?
Does it have sensitive or financial data on it?

Yes
No
No

[Togo]

I have both my and "She who must be obeyed" accounts on my laptop and desktop password protected Emmie. We take the laptop with us for overnight stays and often have overnight guests or a dog sitter if we are away. It is no hassle really. If someone broke in and stole them at least we have not handed over instant access to our files.

[Togo]

Bang on hc. Your post was not there when I started to answer.

[Buenchico]

There are 3 types of password protection available. I'll explain them all, so that you decide if you actually need any of them:

A Windows password will prevent someone who has 'casual' access to your laptop from seeing what's on it but it won't stop someone with rather more time (such as the thief who's nicked it) from accessing it. [There are ways of bypassing Windows passwords]

A BIOS password, which needs to be entered even before Windows starts to load, is slightly more effective because anyone who wants to defeat it has to get inside the laptop in order to disconnect the CMOS battery.

If you've got things on your laptop which you really need to keep secret (such as those NATO defence plans which you just happen to have in your possession) then you need to encrypt either the hard drive as a whole or the relevant folders on it. If you use decent security software (such as Steganos) there's no way that even the combined forces of the FBI, the CIA, MI5 and GCHQ can access your data without knowing your password to remove the encryption.

My own laptops don't have either Windows or BIOS passwords but they do have encryption software on them just in case I want to keep something away from prying eyes.

[Hopkirk]

There's nothing on my computer to have, so I don't want the irritation of having one.

Unfortunately W10 insists you have a password or number so I have 1111. Nice and quick to enter.

You can disable the need to enter it when waking from sleeping, so I have done.

[Jackdaw33]

The trick is that when you search for change password it will ask you to input your current one. It then asks you to input and confirm your new one. In both instances just press the return/enter key without typing anything into the boxes. Hey presto! No password.

[Hopkirk]

Thanks Jack, I'll try that.

[aelmpvw]

i was once asked for an eight character password so i decided on 'snow white and the seven dwarves'

[Jackdaw33]

Perhaps I was a bit vague. Clearly you need to input your current password but ignore the new/confirm password by just pressing enter/return. There is also the option to add a password if in future you need to do so. Just type change password into the search box on the left of the task bar.