Windows® 7 Visual™ Quick Tips

3.10. Lock Your Computer to Prevent Others from Using It

You can lock your computer to prevent another person from working with your computer while you are away from your desk.

Security measures such as advanced file permissions and encryption, which are covered in this chapter, rely on the fact that you have entered the appropriate user name and password to log on to your Windows 7 account. In other words, after you log on, you become a "trusted" user.

But what happens when you leave your desk? If you remain logged on to Windows 7, any other person who sits down at your computer can take advantage of your trusted-user status to view and work with secure files. You could prevent this by shutting down your computer every time you leave your desk, ...