How to enable account lockout in Windows 7?

You probably know that you can keep your computer safe through Windows login password or encryption software. But do you know that you can keep it more secure by using the Account Lockout feature in Windows. In this article, it will tell you how to enable account lockout in Windows 7 for computer security.

What is Account Lockout?

In Windows 7, you can attempt to login as many times as you want by default, no matter how many times you enter an incorrect password. Enabling an Account Lockout policy will protect your account by limiting the number of login time. If a specified number of incorrect passwords are entered, it will lock the account automatically. And the account will remain locked out for a designated period of time before it is automatically unlocked and it can be logged into again. This can stop unauthorized users who want to access your computer by guessing the password.

How to enable Account Lockout?

Before following the steps listed below, please log into your Windows 7 with an administrator account.

1. Go to Start >> Control Panel >> System and Security >> Administrative Tools >> Local Security Policy.

2. On the Local Security Policy window, expand the Account Policies folder >> Account Lockout Policy in the left pane. You'll see 3 policies located in the right hand pane.

3. Right-click Account Lockout Threshold and choose Properties.

4. Set the number of login attempts that you want Windows to permit before it locks the account and click OK.

5. Right-click the Account lockout duration option and select Properties. In the properties window, set the amount of time for which you want the account to be locked. Click OK and exit. That's it.