Check Windows accounts, permissions and privacy

Check sign-in credentials, application permissions and protection notifications separately. Read the actual settings and registered provider rather than deciding from a notification alone, and prepare recovery access before account changes.

Before choosing a task

Identify whether the task concerns an account, app permission or protection setting.
On shared devices, check visible information and unsaved work before changing only the required scope.
Check how to reverse the setting and regain access to your own account.

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Comparisons · Add-on Windows Hello fingerprint readers and infrared webcams

Adding Windows Hello: fingerprint reader or IR camera, and what Enhanced sign-in security rules out

Face sign-in needs an infrared camera; a fingerprint reader plugs into USB. See what Windows 11 Enhanced sign-in security rules out, and which rows of Kensington’s and Logitech’s specifications to check before buying.

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Comparisons · Prerequisites, setup options, trust designation and antivirus defaults as published in Microsoft's Set up a Dev Drive on Windows 11 (read 2026-09-21)

Should the second SSD be a Dev Drive? What can only be decided at format time, and what it trades away

Dev Drive is a Windows 11 volume built on ReFS for developer workloads. Existing volumes cannot be converted — the designation happens only when the volume is formatted. The prerequisites, partition against VHD, and what the default antivirus arrangement actually is.

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Follow the steps

How-to guides · Windows 11

Test a read-only Windows home-network share and separate access from permissions

Create a small read-only test share, check access from another PC, and revoke access after the trial.

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