Use Password protected ‘Screen Saver’ to increase security

You can give a password to your screen saver and make it active whenever your computer boots up. Those who do not know the password cannot enter your computer. Let us see how you can protect your computer from unwanted users accessing your computer.

To create Screen Save with Password

Right click on the blank space of your desktop and select ‘Properties’. In the new dialog box, click on the ‘Screen Saver’ tab. Select any screen saver of your choice. For example let us assume you chose ’3D Flying Objects’.

Now click on the ‘Password Protected’ check box and select it. Then click on the ‘Change’ button. In the new dialog box that opens key in your password.The effectiveness of the protection depends on your password, therefore select a password that is not easy to guess but is easy for you to remember. It is better to keep a password lengthy. Confirm your password by typing again and click on the ‘OK’ button.

You will see the ‘The password has been successfully changed’ information. Click ‘OK’ and close that box. Then finally click on the ‘OK’ button and close the ‘Properties’ dialog box.

To bring the Screen save shortcut to the desktop

The screen saver will only take effect only when your computer is idle for a specified time without any activity. What if you leave your computer and before the screen saver takes effect somebody else stars using your computer. To prevent this from happening you can create a shortcut to your screen saver and activate it whenever you leave your computer.

To create shortcut to the screen saver in the desktopn right click on the blank space of your computer and click ‘New Shortcut’. You will now see the ‘Create Shortcut’ dialog box, click on ‘Browse’ button and select teh screen saver execution file which can be found at c:/windows/system folder. In the ‘File of type’ drop down list choose ‘All Files’. Now in the list of files, scroll and look for the screen saver file (for eg. 3d flying objects) and double click on it. Then click on the ‘Next’ button then give a suitable name for your shortcut and then click on ‘Finish’ button.

Now the shorcut is visible on the shortcut. Whenever you leave your computer just double click this screen saver shortcut and activate your screen saver. Now if anyone wants to use it, when they move the mouse or click any button on the keyboard, the screen saver will prompt for the password. Since he will not know your password he cannot enter your computer.

To add screen saver shortcut to the windows ‘startup folder’

You may know that the programs inside the starup folder will automatically start when you boot your computer. Now you should bring the desktop screen saver shortcut to this startup folder. The reason is, after you shut down your computer if someone tries to start your computer without your knowledge then the screen saver will automatically prompt for the password.

Start your Windows Explorer. Choose the C:/windows folder and look for the ‘Desktop’ folder. Inside this desktop folder look for the short cut that you created. If the files are not visible then click on the ‘View-Folder Options’ menu, select the ‘View’ tab and select ‘Show all files’ option and click ‘OK’ button. In the file list selct the ’3dfo’ shortcut and copy it (Ctrl + C).

Now goto the Windows/startmenu/programs/startup folder. Now paste it here (Ctrl + V). Now close the windows explorer.

From now on when you boot your computer the screen saver will be activated and prompt for the password. Only if you key in the right password you can enter your computer.

If your friend is a bit clever then he may start your computer in ‘Safe Mode’ and enter your computer. Because in ‘Safe Mode’ it will not prompt for password. Then he can goto the start programs startup folder and delete the screen saver shortcut from that folder.

Now your screen saver will not be active anymore. So bringing the screen saver to start up folder is not a fool proof method. But not many people will go to that extent of starting in safe mode and then deleting the screen saver shotcurt. So you can still use this method.