Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional in 10 Minutes

By Dorothy Burke and Jane Calabria

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • Tell Us What You Think!
  • About the Authors
  • Introduction
  • Conventions Used in This Book
  • Lesson 1. Navigating Windows 2000 Professional
  • Lesson 2. Working with a Window
  • Lesson 3. Using Menus
  • Lesson 4. Using Windows 2000 Professional Help
  • Lesson 5. Using Dialog Boxes
  • Lesson 6. Working with Multiple Windows and Applications
  • Lesson 7. Copying, Moving, and Linking Between Windows and Applications
  • Lesson 8. Using My Computer
  • Lesson 9. Managing Files with My Computer
  • Lesson 10. Using WordPad
  • Lesson 11. Understanding File Properties and the Recycle Bin
  • Lesson 12. Printing
  • Lesson 13. Using My Network Places
    • What Is a Network?
    • About Clients and Servers
    • What Is My Network Places?
    • Logging On to a Network
    • Accessing My Network Places
    • Logging Off a Network
  • Lesson 14. Using the Control Panel
  • Lesson 15. Using Outlook Express Mail
  • Lesson 16. Sharing Workstations and Setting Passwords
  • Lesson 17. Using Internet Explorer 5
  • Lesson 18. Web Site and Document Searching
  • Lesson 19. Troubleshooting, Restarting, and Disaster Planning
  • Lesson 20. Customizing the Windows 2000 Environment

Logging Off a Network

There may be occasions when you want to log off the network but not shut down your PC. To log off the network, choose Start, Shut Down, Log Off (your name). When the dialog box asks you if you're are sure, click OK. (See Figure 13.5.) A new dialog box will appear, allowing you to log back on. Click Cancel when this box appears. Using this method, Windows will restart without logging you onto the network.

Figure 13.5 Use the Shut Down dialog box to log off and on the network.

To reconnect to the network, choose Start, Shut Down, Log Off. Click OK and supply your username and network password. The log on dialog box will appear where you can type a name and password.

Changing Your Password

For security reasons, you should change your network password—and any other passwords you use—on a regular basis. In fact, most networks can force users to change their passwords on a periodic or predefined basis by setting a certain age limit for passwords used. Administrators can sometimes specify that passwords cannot ever be re-used, forcing users to come up with creative ways to pick, and more importantly, remember passwords.

You may or may not have a Windows password. Your network password and your Windows password can be the same, if you wish. Changing either password requires that you open the Password dialog box. Here, we show you how to change your network password.

To change your network password:

1. From anywhere in Windows press Ctrl+Alt+Del .
2. The Windows Security dialog box opens. Click the Change Password button.
3. In the Change Password dialog box, select the network for which you want to change your password from the Log on to field. (See Figure 13.6.)
   

   Figure 13.6 If you log in to more than one network, you can change all of your passwords in the Change Password dialog box by choosing from the drop-down list in the Log on to field.

4. Type your old password, and then your new password in the next field. Type your new password again in the Confirm New Password field. Click OK when you are finished. When the Windows Security box appears again, press the ESC key.
5. Your new password will take effect the next time you log on to the network.

In this lesson, you learned some network basics and the components of My Network Places. You also learned how to change your Network password. In the next lesson, you learn more about the Control Panel.

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