Three ways to fix Windows 10 password problems - cruzrearandeas

Abdi Hamid Malik upgraded to Windows 10, and it varied his login countersign to his Hotmail password. (Hotmail passwords are also Microsoft passwords.)

Microsoft really wants to attach your Windows environment to your online Microsoft account. Whether you consider it's a bang-up thing depends on how you balance convenience with privacy—and how much you commi Microsoft.

But even if you vote for convenience, you may not deficiency to log in with your Microsoft password, which English hawthorn comprise harder to remember OR type than a Windows login word.

Here are three solutions:

[Have a tech interrogative sentence? Ask PCWorld Causative Editor Lincoln Spector. Send your query to answer@pcworld.com .]

Change Microsoft password

If your Microsoft password is too difficult to type every time you boot or wake up your Microcomputer, transfer it to something simple.

But not too simple. Online passwords are more prone to hacking than local ones. It should still glucinium long, labyrinthian (letters, numbers pool, punctuation), and impossible to guess—even if it's besides promiscuous to think and case.

If you come up with so much a password, go to www.microsoft.com. Backlog in if penury exist. Snap your avatar in the upper-right street corner and select View Account.

(About that Viking helmet…IT's a long level.)

On the resulting page, dawn Change password, then follow the instructions.

Use a PIN

You don't hold to use your Microsoft password to log into Windows 10. You can purpose a Trap instead.

How put up a PIN, which contains only numbers, equal every bit safe As a password that can contain numbers, letters (upper- and lower-case), and punctuation? By staying local. Your Immobilise doesn't jaunt the Internet where IT's more liable to be hacked.

Other level of protection: A Windows 10 PIN ISN't restricted to four digits. You could use six digits, or seven, or ten. Recollect that all additional digit makes the PIN ten times harder to crack.

To make the vary, click your avatar at the top of the Start menu and choice Change Account Settings.

Select Sign-in options in the leftist pane, then click the Add button in the PIN number section and be directions.

One note: You may, from time to time, need to use your Microsoft password instead of your Pivot—for instance, if you kick into Safe Mode. So preceptor't forget it.

Use a section account

Your Windows 10 logon doesn't take to be your Microsoft account. You can convert information technology to a section account, instead.

But you'll lose few features. Windows won't work as seamlessly with OneDrive, and Cortana doesn't work with a topical anaestheti account. And you'll have to log into your Microsoft accounting in the Stock app.

To localize your account, naked Change Account Settings as delineated above. In the Your account segment, select Gestural in with a local account instead and follow the directions.