- HD
- 720p
- 540p
- 360p
- 0.50x
- 0.75x
- 1.00x
- 1.25x
- 1.50x
- 1.75x
- 2.00x
We hope you enjoyed this lesson.
Cool lesson, huh? Share it with your friends
About this lesson
Exercise files
Download this lesson’s related exercise files.
Log in to Windows 1153.1 KB Log in to Windows 11 - Solution
41.8 KB
Quick reference
Log in to Windows 11
Understand the different ways to log in and log out of Windows 11.
When to use
We are required to log in and log out of Windows 11 each time we start and shut down our PC. We will be asked to verify our identity by entering in a password or PIN.
Instructions
Account Types
To log in to Windows 11 we need an account. There are two main account types: Microsoft Online Account and a Local Account. We also might have an existing account that we set up for another service.
Microsoft Online Account
For most editions of Windows 11, this is the only option. For this, we need to use our Microsoft 365 username and password. We may already have a Microsoft 365 account or we might have to set one up.
There are numerous different types of Microsoft 365 accounts. Remember, Microsoft 365 is a subscription service so there is a monthly fee. If we go for the Personal account then for a small fee we get full access to the Microsoft Office suite which includes apps like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and OneDrive.
Local Account
The alternative to a Microsoft account is a local account. We can set up a basic username and password that is simply used to sign into our computer and isn’t linked to anything else.
If we had a local account on Windows 10 and then we upgraded to Windows 11, we can continue to use that account to sign into Windows 11.
Local accounts are mostly used on computers that need to be accessed anonymously such as in a public space like a library or a school. Some people prefer it because it's simpler.
Just bear in mind, many services in Windows 11 won't work using a local account because they require a connection to an online account.
If we don’t have an account, we will be walked through the process of creating one the first time we boot up a new install of Windows 11 on our PC.
Existing Accounts
We might already have a Microsoft account that we set up for another service. For example, maybe we set up an account to purchase something from the Microsoft Store. Or maybe, we set up a Hotmail or Outlook.com email account a number of years ago to access our email on the go. We might even have an Xbox Live account if we are into our gaming.
All of these are considered existing accounts and can be used to sign in to Windows 11.
First Time Setup
The first time we boot up a new install of Windows 11 we will need to run through the first-time setup process.
The setup itself is a fairly straightforward process. It’s a wizard-style setup that will guide us through. We'll be asked to select our country or region, our keyboard layout, and if we use wifi we will need to choose our network. We won't be able to finish setting up our computer without a connection to the internet.
We'll also need to give our computer a name and then add our Microsoft account using our email address and password. We will be asked to create a PIN. Instead of typing in our password each time, we can use a PIN instead.
We can also specify if we want to connect to, store, and backup our files with OneDrive.
Log In to Windows 11 (not first-time setup).
- Type in your PIN if you set one up or password to go to your desktop
A password or PIN are just two of the ways we can sign into our computer. We might have something else set up like a fingerprint or face scanner.
Log Out of Windows
- Click the Start button.
- Click the Power button.
- Choose Sleep, Shutdown, Restart or Hibernate.
Shutdown logs us out of all of our applications and shuts down the PC. We generally use this option when leaving the office for the day.
Restart turns the PC off and on again. We will be prompted to close down any open applications before the restart happens. We will sometimes be prompted to restart our PC after installing new applications.
Sleep puts the PC into sleep mode and uses low power. Our applications remain open but the screen appears to be switched off. We generally use this option when we are leaving our desk for a short amount of time.
Hibernate is similar to sleep. Our applications remain open so it's quick and easy to pick up where we left off.
We can also Lock our screen by pressing CTRL+ALT+Delete and selecting Lock.
Hints & tips
- A Microsoft 365 account is required to make purchases from the Microsoft Store.
- A PIN does not replace our password, it's simply an alternative way to sign in.
- 00:03 Before we get going with Windows 11, we need to know how to log in,
- 00:08 log out, and we should also probably explore our power options.
- 00:13 Now before we get on to all of that, I want to talk to you a little bit about
- 00:16 the different account types that you can log in with.
- 00:19 The first account type is a Microsoft 365 account.
- 00:23 So if you have one of those, you can log in using your email address and
- 00:27 password that you set up your account with.
- 00:29 And if you don't have a Microsoft 365 account, then you can jump on to
- 00:34 the Microsoft 365 web page and take a look at some of the subscription plans.
- 00:39 You can see we have plans for home use, and also for business use as well.
- 00:44 And these plans vary not only in their cost, but
- 00:46 the type of applications that you have access to.
- 00:49 If you're someone who is a heavy user of Office products,
- 00:52 then I would definitely recommend signing up for a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- 00:56 What if you're somebody who doesn't want to subscribe to Microsoft 365?
- 01:01 Well the good news is you can simply set up a local account and sign in that way.
- 01:07 And if you jump into Settings, you're going to find the area where you can come
- 01:12 to set up a local account on this PC.
- 01:15 Each member of your family could have their own local account.
- 01:20 And a local account isn't attached to anything.
- 01:22 So it is a little bit more restricted than a Microsoft 365 account, but
- 01:26 it is a good option if you don't have a subscription.
- 01:30 Alternatively you can sign into your Windows 11 system using any compatible
- 01:34 email address.
- 01:36 So for example, if you have a Hotmail address or maybe even a live.com or
- 01:41 Outlook address, even if you have an Xbox account,
- 01:45 you can use all of those details to sign into Windows 11.
- 01:49 So just be aware of the different account type options that you have.
- 01:53 Now the first time you boot up your PC after installing Windows 11,
- 01:56 it's going to take you through the first time setup process.
- 01:59 And this is just a helpful little wizard which unfortunately I can't show you
- 02:03 because I already have Windows 11 on my PC.
- 02:06 But it's going to guide you through the process in simple steps.
- 02:09 It will ask you to login.
- 02:10 So enter your credentials like your username and your password.
- 02:14 It will ask you if you want to set up things like OneDrive and
- 02:17 you'll also be required to set things like your timezone and your language.
- 02:23 The process is really simple.
- 02:24 So when we boot up our PC, this is what the lock screen is going to look like.
- 02:29 And you might have a different image on here,
- 02:31 but this is in general what you're going to see.
- 02:35 We have a little bit of information and all we need to do on this screen is simply
- 02:39 click our mouse and then it's going to ask us for our username and our password.
- 02:45 Now I'm already logged in so it's just asking me for my password.
- 02:48 And you can see in the bottom left hand corner that I have multiple accounts on
- 02:53 this PC.
- 02:53 All I need to do is type in my password, press Enter or click on the arrow, and
- 02:58 that's going to unlock my PC and take me to my Windows 11 desktop.
- 03:03 Now if we click on the Start button, the Windows logo key,
- 03:06 that's going to pop open the start menu.
- 03:08 We're going to talk about this more a bit later on.
- 03:12 But the reason why I'm pointing this out now is because this is where we can also
- 03:16 find our power options.
- 03:18 So we have things in there like sleep, shut down, restart, hibernate and
- 03:22 all of these do different things.
- 03:24 A restart will completely restart your PC.
- 03:27 Shut down will shut it down and close down all of your applications.
- 03:31 Sleep will leave any of your applications open but it will lock the screen.
- 03:36 And Hibernate is a power saving mode.
- 03:38 We highly recommend at the end of the day you shut down your PC.
- 03:41 But if you're just moving away from your desk, you might prefer to put it into
- 03:46 sleep mode so that all your applications don't close down.
- 03:50 Or you might want to lock the screen which I'll show you in a moment.
- 03:53 Also notice over on the left-hand side we can switch between different accounts and
- 03:57 also access our account settings.
- 03:59 Now if we press the Windows key L, that is going to lock our PC screen.
Lesson notes are only available for subscribers.