Windows Security · Accounts & Sign-In Security · Lesson 4 of 5

Lock Screen and Physical Security

Lock up when you step away, find a lost laptop and give guests their own space.

Lock it when you walk away

An unlocked computer is an open door. Anyone who sits down can read your email or send messages as you. They could even reset your passwords, since reset links go to your inbox. It takes a minute and no hacking skill.

The fix is a habit. Press Windows+L every time you stand up. The screen locks at once, and your apps stay open. You unlock with your Windows Hello PIN, face or fingerprint. On a Mac, press Control+Command+Q.

Next, set a backup for the times you forget:

• Open Settings, then System, then Power & battery. On a desktop PC this may just say Power. Under Screen and sleep, pick short times, like 5 minutes for the screen and 10 for sleep.
• Then open Accounts, then Sign-in options. Make sure Windows asks you to sign in again when the PC wakes up.

Dynamic lock locks your PC when you walk away with your phone. First pair your phone with the PC using Bluetooth, a short-range wireless link. Then turn on Dynamic lock in Accounts, Sign-in options. When the phone goes out of range, the PC locks after a short delay.

Dynamic lock is a helpful backup, not a replacement for Windows+L. Someone could sit down during that delay.

Out in public, keep the laptop with you. In a cafe, a laptop left for just a second can disappear. At work, lock it even for a quick coffee. A locked screen also hides private things, like a bank page, from people walking past.

When a laptop goes missing

Find my device is a Windows feature that can show a lost PC on a map and lock it from far away. It helps whether the laptop was stolen or just left on a bus. Turn it on before you need it:

• Sign in to Windows with your Microsoft account, as an administrator.
• Open Settings, then Privacy & security, then Find my device, and turn it on.
• Location must be turned on for the device.

If the laptop goes missing, use another device to go to account.microsoft.com/devices. Choose the laptop, then Find my device. You will see its last known place, and you can choose Lock. Then change your Microsoft account password. The laptop needs internet and some battery for this to work.

If it was stolen, don't try to get it back yourself. Report it to the police, and share the location with them.

Locking only stops someone at the sign-in screen. A thief could take out the drive and read it on another computer. That is why the device encryption and BitLocker from earlier matter. Without your sign-in or recovery key, the files are scrambled.

Guests are a physical risk too. If a friend needs your PC, don't hand it over signed in as you. Windows 11 has no built-in Guest account anymore. So make a separate account for visitors in Settings, Accounts, Other users, and keep it a standard user. Then a guest can't see your files, your saved passwords or your email.