Is your Windows password too easy to guess?  Or too hard to remember? 

If your password is "password", "12345678", "qwerty" or one of the other 25 Worst Passwords, you can help keep your computer secure by changing to a stronger  password.  (Your Windows password is the password you use to log on to your computer.)

Here are tips for creating a new password that's more secure:

• Make it longer than six characters, and include a mix of uppercase, lowercase, and special characters (like punctuation or other symbols)
• Use passphrases instead of passwords. Even if you're limited on the number of characters you can use, turn a long phrase into a jumbled short one. "I like bread and butter, especially at breakfast time." can become "Ilbab$eabt!"
• Don't use the same password for everything (if it's compromised and someone finds it, the rest of your identity and other accounts are at risk)
• Avoid using a name, a slang word, or any word in the dictionary
• Don't include part of your name or your email address

So now that you've decided on your new Windows password, here's how to change it:

1. Press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys
2. Click Change a password
   
3. Type your old password
4. Type the password you'd like to start using
5. Type your new password again to confirm it (entering the password twice helps make sure you typed your new password correctly)
   
6. Press the Enter key (Windows XP) or click the blue arrow (Windows 7)

Now that you've changed your Windows password, you must use your new password to log on to Windows from this point forward.

References:
♦ Geek to Live: Choose (and remember) great passwords
♦ No Time Like the Present to Choose Strong Passwords