Logging on

Logging on to a computer identifies you uniquely so that Windows can load your personal settings and grant you certain permissions. You use the Welcome screen to log on to Windows; it lists all the accounts on your computer.

To log on to Windows:
1. On the Welcome screen, click your user name or picture.
2. If your account is password-protected, type your password in the Password box and then press Enter or click the arrow. Your personalized Windows desktop appears.

Tips

• If you've set a password hint (see "Setting up User Accounts" in Chapter 17), it appears below the password box if you mistype your password.
• The bottom portion of the Welcome screen shows the edition of Vista that you're running and offers the options listed in Table 1.1.
• To cancel logon after you've started typing your password, press Esc.
• Windows XP lets you turn off the Welcome screen and use the classic logon prompt; Vista doesn't.

Secure Logon For added security, force users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to log on. Secure logon halts any other programs running on your PC, preventing user-name and password theft by Trojan-horse programs that mimic the logon screen. To enable secure logon: 1. Choose Start, type control userpasswords2 in the Search box, and then press Enter. or If you're on a network domain, choose Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Advanced Options. If a security prompt appears, type an administrator password or confirm the action. 2. In the User Accounts dialog box, choose Advanced tab > check Require Users to Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete > OK. From now on, users are greeted with "Press CTRL + ALT + DELETE to log on."

Domain Logons If you're a home or small-business user, you're probably using a stand-alone computer or one that's part of a small workgroup network (Chapter 18), so you log on by using the Welcome screen. If you're on a large network at work or school, your machine is part of a centrally administered domain. You can log on to any computer in the domain without needing an account on that machine. Your network administrator or IT department will give you logon instructions, but here are a few basics: Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions can join domains (Home editions can't). Secure logon usually is enabled on domains; press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to display the logon screen. The domain logon screen, unlike the standard Welcome screen, doesn't list everyone's account (doing so would be insecure and impractical). Instead, you have a single place to enter your user name and password. By default, the logon screen shows the last account to log on and gives you the option to log on as a different user. Include the domain name with your user name: Log on as user_name@domain_name or domain_name\user_name. To log on to the local machine, type .\user_name, where user_name is a local (not domain) account. After logon, you can connect to the domain's shared network resources (printers, servers, and so on). Your computer might run an automated logon script to handle permissions, security, maintenance, updates, system scans, or whatever else your network administrator wants. To find the domain that you're on, choose Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > System (or press Windows logo key+Break). If your computer is connected to a domain, under Computer Name, Domain, and Workgroup Settings, you'll see the domain name; otherwise, you'll see a workgroup name. To connect to a domain, choose Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > System (or press Windows logo key+Break). Under Computer Name, Domain, and Workgroup Settings, click Change Settings. (If a security prompt appears, type an administrator password or confirm the action.) On the Computer Name tab, click Network ID to start the Join a Domain or Workgroup wizard and then follow the onscreen instructions. (Alternatively, click Change instead of Network ID to set the domain quickly without using the wizard.) If your computer was a member of a workgroup before you joined a domain, it is removed from the workgroup.