I probably don't have an answer. However, lately my computer has been requiring a PW every time I wake it up. Even though in the settings I don't have it set up to require a password just to wake it. Always requires a PW whenever I start or restart the computer. Has always been that way. I have no idea what has changed but I decided it might be a good time to change my PW.

 

OK, I feel silly now - I drive a Mac computer. I just checked the security settings and discovered that the checkbox for the PW was set to "Immediately after waking or after screen saver". So I just solved MY problem. Maybe my oops can be of help to you. You didn't say what you drive. Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11 (or greater if they now exist) may have something similar or slightly different. Or WAY different. I don't know. My wife flies her Windows 11 computer and I can't stand it. Every time they change the OS I get further lost on just how to handle such situations.

Check your security settings.

 

Hi,

I think we are talking about two different passwords and another issue that is in conjuction with those passwords i'll mention too.

First, there is the bios password, and sometimes there are two of them also. A master password and a user password. You can give users a temporary password and then have it expire when you log on and change it.

Then there is the Windows log on password. That only comes after the Windows system boots up. if you dont have that password you cant access Windows THE WAY THE ADMIN OR USER NORMALLY DOES. You can still access files if you take the drive out and put it in another computer or even use a SATA to USB adapter to read the hard drive. The only protection there is the encryption that has to be use to encrypt the files beforehand.

Now we get to one other little problem. The auto wake up on WiFi or other.
This can allow someone that accesses your WiFi to start your computer. That opens another area of concern. They may be able to access Windows normally if you dont have a password set.

The final answer though it that there is no system that is absolutely secure but the more you do to prevent it the harder it is to exploit. It takes more and more knowledge to hack a system protected to a higher level so you could be ruling out most of the hackers by doing just some small things to help prevent it.

#1 to me is to force a time limit on the number of passwords that can be entered in a given time. If the user enters the wrong password twice, have a timer prevent logging on with ANY password for maybe a minute. This prevents those brute force algorithms from trying password after password until they get in.

Windows 11 (maybe 10 too not sure) has introduced a strange mechanism into the Windows log in method. That is, once you type the password it automatically enters into Windows it does not require you to press ENTER. That's a mistake i believe because that provides for the opportunity for someone to try a password of various length and just keep typing to see if they can get it.
In other words, and this is nuts, if the real password is "ABCD" and they type "AB" normally they would have to hit ENTER and it would say access denied. But with the new mechanism they just have to keep typing to see if they can get it. "ABC" still not logged in, then "ABCD" then it logs in right away without pressing ENTER.
So in effect they reduced the security of the log in method to some degree. That's Windows "engineers" for ya.
For example in the old system they would have to type "A" enter, "AB" enter, "ABC enter, then finally "ABCD" enter. Now with the new system they just have to type "A" then "B" then "C" then "D" and they get in, with no ENTER's and no repeat typing of the first set of characters. That would even be worse if there was a timing scheme mixed with that.

 

So in effect they reduced the security of the log in method to some degree.

Ha. As they say, "the most secure Windows evah!"

Low bars, and all that.

 

…drive a Mac computer.

Nice to meet a fellow Apple user. Not going to venture too far off-topic here, but as far as I can tell, we are a vanishingly small minority. I know Apple thingies bring a premium price, and if I couldn’t pay it I’d probably be using Windows as a desktop, but thankfully I can afford it and I am so much happier on the Apple ecosystem.

We now return to our regularly scheduled program…

 

Initial querry is bit alike that wingy advert where one russian company "adapted" the AutoCAD and wrote in the installation ReadMe file: <<this software is just brilliant. Yet we found the giant fault in the job of it programmers. At intallation this software asks something labeled "Password". But we repaired that mistake and now this software works without of blame.>>

 

Yesterday I told you I found the checkbox that makes me enter a password every time I open my computer. Well, this morning I had to enter my password again. Maybe during the night it shut down; I don't know.

 

Yesterday I told you I found the checkbox that makes me enter a password every time I open my computer. Well, this morning I had to enter my password again. Maybe during the night it shut down; I don't know.

Which version of MacOS are you using?

 

High Sierra version 10.13.6
The machine is "Mid 2011".

Still kicking butt. Only recently has it become an issue. We should probably continue this conversation via PM and not publicly. Unless what we might discuss would be beneficial for the TS.