A computer will often go into hibernate or standby mode when it has been inactive for a period of time - this is to save power. When the system resumes all programs and documents that were open are restored to the desktop. This is a great feature for laptop computers but it would be more comforting knowing that another user cannot bring it out of standby or hibernate mode and access your information while you’re away.

You can protect your system by password protecting it during standby or hibernation. When a user attempts to resume the computer, they are prompted for the password of the user currently logged on. To configure this option in Vista:

1. Click the Start button and type pow in the Search box.
2. Click Power Options.
3. Click the Require password on wakeup option.
4. Click Continue if prompted for elevated privileges.
5. Click Require a password (recommended).
6. Click Save changes.

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