How to change (or eliminate) your Windows 11 sign-in

Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

If you have a long, secure password for your Windows 11 computer, it can be difficult to sign in with it.

Thankfully, you have other options. There are other ways to sign in to your laptop that are a little simpler if you take your Windows laptop out occasionally. To keep your device secure, we recommend that you go with one of the options above rather than eliminating any kind of sign-in.

You can use a physical security key to sign in, but you have to purchase that key separately. There are methods you can use to sign in.

Access your sign-in settings

You can find all your sign-in options by clicking on the Start icon.

There are a number of ways that you can adjust how to sign in to your device. The methods that Windows offers.

• Facial recognition (using Windows Hello)
• Fingerprint recognition
• Using a PIN (can be a combination of numbers or numbers and letters)
• Using a physical security key
• Typing in your password
• Using a picture password (you’ll be presented with a photo and will need to draw three different swipes on the photo to unlock)

Click on Add if you want to enable any of these methods. Windows will show you how to create that method of signing in to your computer. You can come to the same place to manage or remove it after you've added it.

There are a couple of things to be aware of.

If one of the sign-in options is not available, there will be a notice underneath the name of the option.

You will need to set up a PIN first before you can use facial recognition or fingerprints, as the PIN acts as a backup in case the systems don't work.

Adjust when you need to sign in again

If you occasionally walk away for a few minutes, you may find it hard to sign in again because your system has gone to sleep. You can change the number of times you need to sign in.

• Beneath Ways to sign in is a section called Additional settings, where you can find additional security settings — one of which adjusts when your device asks you to sign in again after you’ve been idle.
• Look for If you’ve been away, when should Windows require you to sign in again? and click on it.
• The associated drop-down menu lets you select from a range of options, from every time the system has gone dark to if it’s been dark for 15 minutes. You can also select Never.

It is possible that this particular feature will be grayed out, as happened to me. In order to use it, I had to stop using fingerprints. I would like to thank TenForums for helping me solve this issue.

Remove a password altogether

It can be difficult to type in a password, which is why there are other sign-in methods. You can remove your password completely if you want to go further. disabling your password is a security risk and using a simple PIN is a better move.

If you are determined to lose that password, here is how you can do it.

• Click the Start icon
• Search for and open netplwiz

• A window will open. Uncheck the box next to Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.

• Then click Apply
• Enter your password twice in the pop-up window and click OK
• Click OK again

After you restart your device, the changes will take effect. It doesn't get rid of your password, but it makes it so you don't need it to start the system. If there are multiple logins to the system, you will have to go through the same process for each one. If you feel safer with a password, you should.

Enable your password again

• Open up netplwiz
• Check the box next to Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer
• Then click Apply
• Click OK