Setting a password on Windows 10 is undoubtedly a great way to keep your files and sensitive information safe from prying eyes. But, do you know how to change a password on Windows 10 PC?
On this page, we’ll go over the steps on how to do that, and share with you the best tips on how to make your Windows 10 logins truly passwordless and even tougher to compromise.
How to Change Passwords in Windows 10?
Changing a Windows 10 password isn’t overly complicated, but it can get confusing if you’ve never done it before. That said, to make sure you successfully change your password on Windows 10 on the first try, we’ve drafted this easy-to-follow step-by-step guide. With that in mind, here’s how to change the password on Windows 10:
1. Open The Start Menu And Click on Settings
The first thing you need to do if you want to change your Windows 10 password is to open the Start Menu in the lower-left corner of your desktop toolbar and click on the Settings tab. You can also do this by pressing the Windows logo on your keyboard. Moreover, you can simply type in “settings” into the search bar that’s on your toolbar.
2. Go to Accounts
Once the Settings tab loads up, you’ll need to navigate to the Accounts option in the menu. It should be available on the left side of the settings list. That said, if it doesn’t appear, you can look it up by typing it in the search bar at the top of the Settings menu.
3. Select Sign-in Options
When you’re in the Accounts menu, the left side will feature a list of submenus you can pick from. When you want to change the Win 10 password, you have to select the Sign-in Options tab from the menu. Like in the previous step, you can click on it directly or look it up in the search bar if it doesn’t appear on your screen right away.
4. Click on Change
In the bottom half of the Sign-in Options menu, you’ll find a tab labeled Password. Click on the tab and when it expands, select the Change option. When you do so, you’ll be prompted to enter your current Windows 10 password if you’ve previously set one up.
5. Enter Your New Password
Lastly, if you’ve completed the previous four steps, all that’s left now is to enter and save your new Windows 10 password. You’ll also have to confirm the new password before you can save it, so pick one that’s complicated but not too complex that you forget it before long.
At this point, you’ll also get the option to set a password hint that will help you remember a password in case you forget it down the line. However, be careful when doing so. Make sure you set a hint that will only help you figure out the password, not anyone else, if they get a hold of your device.
This completes the process of changing a Windows 10 password. Additionally, we should note that you can’t set the old password back to your account once you change it. This is because of a security measure that’s in place to ensure that attackers can’t affect your device if they obtain the old password by any chance.
What about Making Your Logins Completely Passwordless?
No matter how strong you make your password, this arbitrary string of characters and numbers is always vulnerable. This is primarily because of the inconvenient nature of passwords. Strong passwords follow strict requirements and can be difficult to remember. And, when you add that you should update and change your passwords fairly regularly, this ensures some mental gymnastics many users don’t want to go through.
According to recent data, Microsoft records around 18 billion attacks every year. This mind-boggling number averages at 579 attacks every second. With so many attacks globally, it’s easy to understand why traditional passwords are simply not safe enough if you’re aiming for maximum protection.
Luckily, Microsoft has implemented a technology that enables you to quickly switch from using passwords to a completely passwordless system. All you need to do is install the Microsoft Authenticator app and link it to your Microsoft account. When you go passwordless, you won’t have to worry about forgetting your Windows 10 password or thinking how to change it.
From this perspective, Microsoft is not the only tech giant that’s embracing this technology. Industry big names like Google, Apple, and Facebook are all pursuing this route in hopes of obtaining a passwordless future for their products and services.
So, how exactly do you put this into practice and actually remove your password? You can do so through the previously mentioned Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key, or through a verification code sent to your phone or email address. Currently, more than 200 million Microsoft users have already taken advantage of passwordless authentication.
Secure Password-based and Passworldess Authentication
Microsoft allows you to set up passwordless authentication through a number of methods, but none is more secure and advantageous than using a security key. More specifically, the Hideez Key 4 is the end-all solution for all of your login needs.
The Hideez Key 4 works as a FIDO security key and makes your logins entirely passwordless on all websites and services that support passwordless authentication. This applies to Microsoft, but also all Google services, Twitter, Facebook, and many other websites, services, and apps that support passwordless FIDO authentication.
This device works as an encrypted password manager that also enables you to take advantage of passwordless logins. It can store more than 1000 logins and passwords and autofill them instantly. The Hideez Key 4 can generate NIST-compliant passwords or OTPs through the Hideez Client application.
On top of this, you can count on other convenient features such as proximity authentication, which immediately locks and unlocks your computer based on your proximity to it. Lastly, it’s crucial to mention that the Hideez Key 4 has a hardware encryption-based architecture. In other words, not only the data storage is encrypted but also the communication channel itself. This feature eliminates the problem of common cyber threats like phishing attacks.
The Hideez key functions as a bridge between passwords and passwordless authentication. It makes all logins instant, convenient, and uncompromising. Try it right away and capture the future of passwordless security!