Logging on by using a picture password
Windows 8 supports the use of picture passwords for authentication.
To create a picture password, you select a picture and associate some
gestures with it that are then used to sign in to Windows.
The gestures can include the following:
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Circles
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Lines
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Taps on the screen
These short drawings on the picture you have chosen are used to
create your password. After a gesture is configured, this picture
password replaces the traditional password you assigned to your user
account.
Note
ACCESSING PHOTOS FROM ONLINE SERVICES
You can select a picture to use with your picture password from anywhere on your computer. If you choose the Photos application, you can also connect to online services such as SkyDrive
to retrieve photos. When using photos from an online service, you might
need to authenticate with your user name and password for the selected
service to access the items.
Creating a picture password
To configure a picture password, complete the following steps:
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Access the Settings charm, select PC Settings, and then select Users from the navigation pane.
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Tap or click Create a Picture Password.
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Enter the current password for your user account and tap or click OK.
Figure 6 shows the picture password welcome screen.
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Tap or click Choose Picture.
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Select the photo to use for your picture password from anywhere on
your computer or from online photo albums and tap or click OK.
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After previewing the photo and dragging it to the position you want
for the password, tap or click Use This Picture. If you do not want to
use the selected picture, tap or click Choose New Picture.
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Draw three gestures on the selected picture to enable it as a password.
Important
SEQUENCE AND DIRECTION COUNT!
Windows remembers what you draw first, second, and third and how you
draw a line or a circle. You will need to use the same sequence and
directionality for your gestures every time. This increases the
security of a password significantly.
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Redraw the same three gestures to confirm them.
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Tap or click Finish to complete the creation of a picture password.
The next time you sign in to Windows, you must use the picture password you created.
Removing a picture password
If you have a picture password and decide you no longer want to use
this type of password, you can remove it by performing the following
steps:
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Access the Settings charm, select PC Settings, and then select Users from the navigation pane.
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Tap or click the Remove button next to Change Picture Password.
Important
CHANGING YOUR PICTURE PASSWORD
At any time, you can change your picture password. To change the
picture and gestures, select Change Picture Password instead of Remove,
and repeat the steps to select a picture and add gestures.
Using the picture password
Figure 7 shows what the sign-in screen looks like when using a picture password.
When signing in with a picture password, the picture and gestures
are associated with your existing user account. If necessary, you can
select Switch To Password from the sign-in screen to allow a password
to be entered. After you have selected Switch To Password, the picture
password will be moved under sign-in options on the sign-in screen. Selecting the picture password option will change your sign-in back to the previously configured picture password.
Although picture passwords were designed with touch screen devices in mind, they work on standard laptop or desktop installations of Windows 8.
Using a personal identification number (PIN) for authentication
Another way to shorten the sign-in process is by using
a PIN. This assigns a 4-digit code to your user credentials, enabling
you to sign in with just this assigned code. To create a PIN, complete
the following steps:
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Access the Settings charm, select PC Settings, and then select Users from the navigation pane.
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Tap or click Create A PIN.
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Enter your current password.
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Enter a 4-digit number.
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Re-enter the 4-digit PIN for confirmation.
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Tap or click Finish.
When the PIN is created, you are returned to the PC Settings screen.
If you want to change your PIN, click the Change PIN button or click
the Remove button to remove the PIN from your account.
The next time you sign in to Windows with the user account that has
a PIN assigned, it prompts you to enter a PIN rather than a password.
If you would rather enter your password, click Sign-In Options on the
sign-in screen to select a different method.
The sign-in options are available when alternate methods of authentication are configured for a user account. Figure 8 shows these options.
Additional sign-in options can be useful in several situations, such as when a user signs in to a mobile device or when a user needs a simplified sign-in procedure.
