Today with the growing number of data breaches, data security has become an important issue we cannot afford to overlook. When it comes to PCs, you can simply password protect the files and folders stored on it by adding a strong Windows login password and create a password a Windows password reset disk to in case you forget the password in future. A Windows password is often regarded as the first layer of protection for computer data.

Now here comes another problem: How can you protect your files and folders on USB flash drive? Being a tiny device with large data storage, a USB flash drive is often used to transfer important data between different computers, between workplace and home. Unfortunately, this portability and convenience comes with an inherent security risk. People often forget the USB device in laundry shop, taxies, etc. So adding password protection for the removable devices you should take into consideration if you often use them to carry or store important and private data.

With respect to password protect USB flash drive, there exists 2 options for your choice: software-encryption and hardware-encryption. The software-encryption refers to encrypt your USB flash drive by using third-party software while the hardware solution refers to get USB drives with embedded hardware encryption.

If you prefer to protect files and folders on USB flash drive by using software solutions, many free and efficient USB encryption tools are out there to help minimize the risk of USB files and folders. For example, FreeOTFE and TrueCrypt allow the contents of a USB drive to be encrypted automatically and transparently. Besides, Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate Editions and Windows Server 2008 R2 provide USB drive encryption using BitLocker to Go. The Apple Computer Mac OS X operating system has provided software for disc data encryption since Mac OS X Panther was issued in 2003.

Aside from utilizing encryption software, you can also simply store the important files and folders on a USB flash drive with built-in hardware encryption. Some USB drives offer embedded hardware encryption as Microchips within the USB drives carry out automatic transparent encryption. Besides, hardware systems may offer additional features, such as the ability to automatically overwrite the contents of the drive if the wrong password is entered more than a certain number of times.

Compared with software solution, hardware encryption cost significantly more while it offers stronger protection. Just select one of the two options based on your actual needs to password protect your files and folders on USB flash drive.

“I got an old laptop with windows XP. I can’t log on to it as the admin account has password that I don’t know. What’s a tool I can use to crack or hack Windows password?”

Refer to the Windows password cracker, Ophcrack will comes to my mind immediately. It is a free Windows password cracker based on rainbow tables. It is a very efficient implementation of rainbow tables done by the inventors of the method. It comes with a Graphical User Interface and runs on multiple platforms.

If you have forgotten Windows password for user and admin account, or purchased a used computer and it requires a password, Ophcrack will usually be able to hack it. It supports Windows 7/Vista/XP. The following steps illustrate how to crack Windows login password by using Ophcrack.

1 Download the Ophcrack LiveCD iso (~416 MB) from Ophcrack official website.

2. Burn the iso file to CD by using an image burning software.

3. Put the CD in the disc drive of the computer you want to crack the passwords of.

4. Boot the computer from the disc.

5. Save and exit BIOS setting and Ophcrack will initiate by itself.

6. The logo screen should appear, at which you should hit enter. Text should scroll down the screen, and eventually you will have a graphical interface pop up, with the one and only window (Ophcrack).

7. Once the system is done, select the user account you wish to recover the password for, and click launch.

8. Depending on the speed of your system, the cracker will go to work, and if it can determine and decrypt your password, it will eventually display it in the “NTPassword” column.

If you still have difficulty in using this program to crack you Windows login password based on the above steps or just because the program doesn’t work for you, it’s highly suggested to have a try of Windows Password Unlocker, which allows you to get back in your computer in a few minutes. Please note this application allows you to reset your forgotten Windows login password with a USB /CD/DVD instead of hacking it. Its guide is listed below:

1. Download and install Windows Password Unlocker.

2. Burn a bootable password reset disk with USB/CD/DVD.

3. Insert the bootable disk in the computer you want to reset the password of.

4. Set BIOS of the computer to boot from the disk.

5. Reset forgotten Windows XP login password to blank.

With the data breaches on the rise, protecting your data has been a top priority for all users. If you have no idea about how to password protect your files and folders stored in your Windows 7 laptop, here’re 3 simple tips especially for you.

1. Add a strong Windows login password
A Windows password is said to be the first layer of safeguard for your computer files and folders. It can help you stop all unauthorized users from accessing your sensitive information.

a. Open User Accounts window by clicking Start button, Panel Control, User Accounts and Family Safety, User Accounts.

b. Click “create a password for your account” link.

c. Enter your password, confirm it, type a password hint, and then click Create password button.

2. Apply permissions to files and folders
Though Windows 7 doesn’t come with a method of password protecting your sensitive files and folders, it allows you apply permissions to determine if you can access the files and folders and what you can do with them.

The below steps for users who are using a computer that has different accounts. Please note only system administrators and users with administrator accounts on computers can assign permissions to individual users or groups.

a. Right-click the file or folder, and then click Properties.

b. Click the Security tab, and then click Edit.

c. To set permissions for a user that is not listed under Group or user names, click Add, type the name of the user or group, click OK, select the permissions, and then click OK.

3. Encrypt your files and folders
If you are in need of password protecting your MS Office Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, etc. you can simply encrypt them by clicking Click on the Office button at the top left corner >> Click Prepare >> Click Encrypt Document >> Type the password you want to use in the following dialogue box.

For other files and folders, you can encrypt them by using encryption software. Here highly suggests you to have a try of AxCrypt, an excellent free encryption utility that enables users to encrypt all files within a folder and not allow those files to be viewed unless a passphrase (password) is known.

Tips: a. Before password protecting any document you may wish to create a backup of the non-password protected folder and files in case you forget the password in the future or.
b. For Windows password, you can create a Windows 7 password reset disk to in case that you forget the password in future.

Problem: I have a Compaq laptop with windows 7. I have one user account which is mine and I forgot the password to it. I can’t find the reset disk anyway. Is there anyway I can change the password without a disk? I tried to enter safe mode to fix it, but failed.

Solution 1:
The built-in Administrator account on Windows 7 is disabled or inactive by default so you can’t access it even in safe mode. But you can try the following steps instead.

1. Turn on or restart the computer.

2. Tap the F10 key repeatedly once you see the Compaq logo until the recovery screen appears. On some models it may be the F11 key. This must be done before your operating system begins to load. If you see the Windows logo appear on screen, you’ll have to restart and try again.

3. When the recovery screen appears, press “Next” and then “Yes” to perform a non-destructive recovery.

4. To perform a destructive recovery, click “Advanced” and then “Yes”.

5. After the recovery is finished, the laptop will reboot.

Solution 2:
If the steps mentioned above doesn’t work, there also exits opportunity to bypass your lost Windows 7 password as long as you get Windows Password Unlocker. Through this powerful Windows password reset tool, you can instantly reset forgotten Windows 7 password by creating a bootable password reset disk with a USB flash drive in seconds.

Worth noting: The bootable password reset disk can be created in any computer. It means you can download and install Windows Password Unlocker in any other computer if you cannot download it in your locked laptop.

1. Download and install Windows Password Unocker.

2. Create a bootable password reset disk with USB flash drive.

3. Boot your locked PC from the bootable disk.

4. Reset lost Windows 7 password to empty.

The whole Windows 7 password recovery disk will cost you no more than 5 minutes. 100% secure without any data damage or loss.

Microsoft’s Windows XP has slipped under the 50% share mark for the first time according to Net Applications. At the same time, Windows 7 has steadily grabbed more customers since its official release in October 2009. It’s said Windows 7 will be the most likely to replace Windows XP as the mainstream operating system before the arrival of Windows 8.

Although Windows 8 has been confirmed to launch in 2012 and there are various leaks and rumors about it, Microsoft has yet provided any progress and update details about the forthcoming operating system. It’s said that Microsoft will cover more of the new features and improvements in Windows 8 at the BUILD developer conference, planned for September 13, 2011.

Even so, the users’ attentions haven’t transferred to the next version of Windows at present, and most of them are mainly in the use of Windows 7.
Net Applications statistics shows Windows 7 finished July with a 27.9% global usage share, an increase of seven-tenths of a percentage point over June. While on the other side, the decade-old XP closed July with 49.8%, a 1.3-percentage point drop from June.

If you are still sticking to the ten-year-old operating system, just hurry up and switch to Windows 7 right now. If you are hesitate about whether to update to Windows 7 now or wait for Windows 8, the suggestion is to update to Windows 7 as Windows 8 will run Windows 7 software just fine. After switching to Windows 7, please remember to create a password reset disk for your password-protected Windows 7 user account as there’re increasingly users troubled by a lost Windows 7 password.

“I forgot my original windows 7 password and now i can’t download anything. I need help FAST!”

Advice 1: Reset lost Windows 7 password through Windows Password Unlocker
This is the fastest Windows 7 password reset method I ever tried. You will be able to reset the forgotten Windows 7 password in about 5 minutes as long as you can find a third PC that you can run as administrator for downloading and installation.

Here’s how it works: At first, you’re required to create a Windows 7 password reset USB or CD/DVD through the Windows password unlocker software in any accessible PC. Then you can reboot your locked Windows 7 laptop to boot from the burned password reset disk for Windows password reset.
It’s extremely easy to use. No matter what your computer knowledge level is, you can do the job on your own. And no matter during or after resetting Windows password, no any data damage or loss issues come up.

Advice 2: Reformat Windows 7 Read more

Mastering these Windows tricks will prevent any unauthorized access from other people or software programs; helping keep your computer more secure.

1. Update your operating system and software regularly.  There is no such thing as perfect software. Software patches, updates, and drivers are made available to consumers to help keep a software program and operating systems running properly and secure. Use Windows Update to keep Microsoft products up to date. Keep your software up to date.

2. Use a firewall. A firewall will try and prevent infection in the first place, and acts as a first line of defense against the web’s more unpleasant elements. It monitors inbound and outbound web traffic on a computer, searching and blocking behaviour consistent with malware. Read more

Have you ever heard about graphical password? Well, if you have ever been careful about the Windows 8 rumors and news, I believe you’ll not be unfamiliar with it. It’s said that there are two ways available when you log on to the upcoming operating system: traditional text password and graphical codes.

Here comes the problem: what is a graphical password?   According to Wiki, graphical passwords are an alternative means of authentication for log-in intended to be used in place of conventional password; they use images, graphics or colors instead of letters, digits or special characters. Read more

“I have Windows 7 for my laptop and recently changed the password. After I changed it, though, I forgot password on Windows 7 . How do I get back into my laptop?”

To solve this kind of problem, the first thing you should do it to make sure that you forgot laptop password and cannot remember it any longer. Keep calm, and then try to recall your Windows by asking yourself the following questions: Read more

Windows Vista can help protect your PC and the people who use it by providing improved safety and security features so you can use your computer with confidence.  If you already have children, you can setup parental control in your computer, which can help you manage how your children use the computer.

Enable parental controls in Vista

With the Parental Controls, parents can define the time of day that the computer is available, block unapproved games or programs, and filter Web sites to restrict access to inappropriate content. Before selecting these options, a parent must first enable Parental Controls.
Note: Only the administrator can enable Parental Controls.

1. Log in to the Windows operating system as administrator.

2. Click “Start,” “Control Panel” and “Set Up Parental Controls.”

3. Click the user account for which you would like to enable Parental Controls.

4. Click “On” under Parental Controls. Parental Controls are now enabled. You can adjust the individual settings using the options listed in the left pane, including Web restrictions, time limits, games and specific programs.

Disable parental controls in Vista

If you decide that a user of your computer no longer requires parental controls, you can easily disable the feature. This will eliminate the parental-controls reports and lift any restrictions from the user’s account.

1. Log into an administrator account.
2. From the Start menu, select the Control Panel from the right sidebar.
3. Select the “Parental Controls” in the Control Panel menu (this may be under “User Accounts and Family Safety”), and then click “Continue.”
4. Select the account that you want to disable controls for. Select the “off” dot to disable the controls. Click “OK” to apply the changes.

Tip: Please remember to create a Windows password reset disk for your Vista admin account.