Insider Power Techniques for Microsoft® Windows® XP

Creating and Enforcing Bulletproof Passwords

Windows XP sometimes gives the impression that passwords aren’t all that important. After all, each user account you specify during Setup is supplied with both administrative-level privileges and a blank password. That’s a dangerous setup, but it’s one that’s easily remedied by supplying all local users a password. This section gives you some pointers for creating strong passwords and runs through Windows XP’s password-related options and policies.

Creating a Strong Password

Ideally, when you’re creating a password for a user, you want to pick one that provides maximum protection without sacrificing convenience. Keeping in mind that the whole point of a password is to select one that nobody can guess, ...