Creating a PIN
Everybody has PIN codes for ATM cards, telephones, just about everything.
PINs have lots of advantages over passwords and picture passwords. They’re short and easy to remember. Fast. Technically, though, the best thing about a PIN is that it’s stored on your computer — it’s tied to that one computer, and you don’t have to worry about it getting stored in some hacked database or stolen with your credit card numbers. In Windows 11, the PIN is part of Windows Hello, Microsoft’s service for secure authentication options, which improves with each major update. More on that in the next section of this chapter. For now, realize that creating a PIN is easy. Here’s how to do it:
1 Click or tap the start icon, the Settings icon, and then Accounts.
2 On the right, choose Sign-In Options.The sign-in settings for your account appear, as shown in Figure 2-7.
3 Click or tap PIN (Windows Hello) and then Set Up.Windows 11 asks you to verify your user account password.
4 Type your password and then click or tap OK.Windows 11 gives you a chance to type your PIN, as shown in Figure 2-8, and then retype it to confirm it. Note: Most ATM PINs are four digits, but you can go longer, if you want — Windows 11 can handle any PIN you can throw at it.
5 Type your PIN, confirm it, and click or tap OK.You can include letters and symbols in your PIN, not just digits.The PIN is set and you can log in with it.
FIGURE 2-7: The sign-in options available in Windows 11.
FIGURE 2-8: Creating a PIN is easy.
Windows Hello
Windows Hello offers biometric authentication — which is a lot faster than using a password or a PIN. The Windows Hello technology includes fingerprint or face recognition (or both) when you use a specially designed camera or fingerprint reader (or both).
Microsoft is gradually implementing fingerprint recognition with older finger scanners as well. But the hallmark Hello scan for your shining face is limited to fancy cameras with infrared sensors, which are included on an increasing number of Windows 11 laptops and tablets. There are some USB webcams too, such as the Logitech Brio Ultra HD webcam and Lenovo 500 FHD webcam, but they’re harder to find and, with few exceptions, more expensive than normal webcams.
If your computer’s webcam supports Hello face recognition, try it and see if you like it. Here’s how:
1 Click or tap the start icon, the Settings icon, and then Accounts.
2 On the right, choose Sign-In Options.The sign in settings for your account appear (refer to Figure 2-7).
3 Click or tap Facial Recognition (Windows Hello) and then Set Up.The Welcome to Windows Hello window appears, as shown in Figure 2-9.If you see This Option Is Currently Unavailable, your Windows 11 computer doesn’t support Windows Hello facial recognition.FIGURE 2-9: Setting up facial recognition.
4 Click or tap Get Started.Windows 11 asks you to verify your user account password or PIN.
5 Type your PIN or password, depending on what’s asked of you.
6 When asked to look directly at your camera, as shown in Figure 2-10, do as instructed until you see a message that you're all set.
7 Click or tap Close.Face recognition is set, and you can log in just by looking at your Windows 11 tablet or laptop.
FIGURE 2-10: Look at your camera as instructed.
Bypassing Passwords
So now you have three convenient ways to tell Windows 11 your password: You can type it, just like a normal password; you can pretend it’s a smartphone and enter a PIN; or you can just look at your webcam.
But what if you don’t want a password? What if your computer is secure enough — it’s sitting in your house, it’s in your safe deposit box — and you just don’t want to be bothered with typing or tapping a password?
Microsoft accounts can’t have blank passwords, but local accounts can. If you have a blank password, when you click or tap your username on the login screen, Windows 11 ushers you to the desktop. If only one user is on the PC and that user has a blank password, just getting past the lock screen takes you to the desktop.
If you have a Microsoft account, you have to use your password (PIN, password, or Windows Hello) each time you reboot.
Chapter 3
Handling Notifications and Quick Actions
IN THIS CHAPTER
