Obviously, the first step to using a
computer is to turn it on. Shortly after you first start your computer,
the Windows 8 Lock screen appears (see Figure 1). To log in, slide
the display up. To slide on a touch device, move your finger from the
bottom of the display toward the top. With a mouse, click and drag the
display toward the top. Windows displays the list of user accounts
available on the device. All you need to know is that if you see user account
icons shortly after you first start your computer, you have to click
one in order to use the computer. Tap (touch or click) on a user tile
to enter the password for that user account, and then press Enter or
tap (or click) the arrow icon to the right of the password field.
Tip
The blue circle near the lower-left
corner of the screen provides Ease Of Access options for the visually
impaired. The button at the lower-right corner lets you turn off the
computer rather than log in.
If the user account isn’t password-protected, the
Windows Start screen appears automatically. If the user account you
clicked is password-protected, a rectangular box appears instead. You
have to type the correct password for the account to get to the Windows
Start screen. The letters you type won’t show in the box by default.
Instead, you’ll see a dot for each letter you type, as in Figure 2.
This prevents others from learning your password by looking over your
shoulder as you type it on the screen. To temporarily see the
characters you enter, press and hold the eye icon on the right side of
the password box. This toggles on the characters so you can see that
what you typed is what you intended to type.
After you type the password, press Enter or click the arrow to the right of the password box.
After you’ve successfully logged in, the Windows Start screen appears.
