Locking My Laptop Overnight Without Turning It Off?

Hi. I have a dell xps 15 9550 laptop bought from many years ago. I am still using it and its fine most of the time. I had upgraded the battery, ssd and ram a while back.


But today, when I turned on the power button, it did not turn on. I then pressed the power button again and it turned on... then turned off immediately. Then after a while... it finally turned back on. I have it connected to two external monitors if that matters.


Now a while back, I occasionally had some issues with this laptop. Such as back then sometimes when I turn on the laptop, it would have the scanning disk for errors and it never finishes... so i power it off and then power it on and its back to normal. But its been a while since i had this issue.


Now its windows 10 pro. I also have bitlocker enabled and a windows password. So everytime i power it on... i need to enter my bitlocker pin... then my windows password to access my laptop. I do this for security since i heard if you don't have a bitlocker pin or use veracrypt, well if someone had access to your laptop... they could literally turn it on and put malware/virus in it etc.


Now my concern is because earlier today, I had it now power on after many tries until later on... I do not want to power off my laptop for a few days. Is this fine and do most of you do this? I heard lot of people make their computer sleep when they are away from their computer whether they go to sleep or away from the apartment etc. But my concern is besides theft... well I wouldn't want someone having access to my laptop and say do something to do without me knowing. Thus imagine planting malware/virus/trojan etc.


When I go out for a short time, I usually just task manager and lock my computer. Thus you need to enter my windows 10 password in order to access it. But I heard that windows 10 password is completely useless right? So when I heard this, even when I go outside for a bit, I shut down my computer completely. Then power it on and enter bitlocker pin and windows 10 password each time.


But is there a way to protect my laptop security If I don't want to turn my laptop off? The thing is Im outside the US right now... so my concern is if one day I power my dell xps 15 9550 laptop on and it doesn't power on at all etc. Then I'm stuck with no laptop while outside the US.


Anyone have any advice here? I mean I don't mind just locking it when I go to bed... then when I wake up... I only enter my windows 10 password. But I read this is a huge security issue if someone has access to it while you do not know and your laptop is powered on.

 

The best protection is never tell anyone your password. What you should be doing.
1. Create Strong password for Admin/Owner-NEVER use this account for your everyday usage that is solely for updates ONLY!!!
2. Create Limited Account - use that for your everyday usage and if it gets infected you use the Admin/Owner account to wipe clean and restart over.
3. BitLocker does nothing to protect other then if you forget the password or move the drive to another computer it's you the owner that has problems.
4. Always PASSWORD Protect the Admin/Owner account without that no one can do anything to the computer.
5. If your laptop is getting stolen the user isn't doing their own safety protocols to prevent prying eyes from doing that in the first place.

Why are you giving someone access to your computer? If you Password Protect the Admin/Owner account and user only have Limited Account they can't infect the computer only their account and you just wipe clean that account and start over or they should've have access in the first place.

Windows 10 there is a short cut to Lock it's the "Windows Key+L" to lock the computer until the password is entered in. And that can be done on Limited Account as well. So password protect both accounts besides the Admin/Owner so only you can access your account. If that is a problem then you need to do this for your user account.

YES, "Windows Key+L" Locks the system until you enter the password to login.

USE "Windows Key+L" to Lock and no one besides the user can access it but again Password Protect the Admin/Owner and make a User Limited Account and password protect that so only you the sole user can access it. But don't use same password for Admin/Owner as the Limited Account or your asking for problem. Make them so you remember them not forget them. And BitLocker adds more access time and should you forget you are the one that messed up not anyone else. So don't use BitLocker as your not CIA,NSA,FBI or Soviet federation as your data is far less important then theirs. Password Protect Admin/Owner and User account is more then sufficient to stop unwanted hands from using it. If you uses standard default Windows Power mode it will turn itself to sleep and require password when you wake the system - if you setup the Password Login either accounts but Admin/Owner definitely needs one.

 

Hi. I do not tell anyone my password.


No one has access to my laptop. I am talking about if there is theft or anything like that... I want to make sure its protected in that someone cannot get into my laptop. But again... I want to have my computer on and not powered off... because earlier I had some issues powering my dell xps laptop on. I had this issue a while back but haven't for a long time until recently.


I have a bitlocker pin/password i enter when i first turn on my laptop... and after i type that in... i enter my windows 10 password to get into my computer. If i lock my computer, i have to enter my windows 10 password to get in. But i heard this windows 10 password is completely useless. Such as someone could plug a usb malware into it... and it could infect your laptop and/or its easy for them to bypass this screen.... is that true? I was told if someone cannot get past the bitlocker pin/password screen... then anything they do to the laptop... they cannot.


I'm confused with the admin/owner and limited account.


My account has my name in it. I don't think i ever used user limited account etc.

 

@Drew1 then they told you wrong a Windows Login Password is more then strong enough to stop sticky fingers as long as you made it hard enough but easy enough for you to quick enter and use the computer. This is why I told you Admin/Owner Password protect and Limited user Password protect and turn off W10 autorun for USB devices. That will further harden your login and installs of unwanted software. If your not willing to use a Password to protect Admin/Owner then anything can install when your logged into that account regardless of how many bitlockers you use. BitLocker will cause you more headache then it protects. If someone is that desperate to get something from your computer they will and can find ways to do that. All bitlocker does is makes your HDD or SDD work harder and will shorten the Drive LifeSpan instead. Using common sense here would mean you password protect the Admin/Owner for updates only and Disable USB "AutoRun" and Password protect your Limited user account and just use that and you should be more then sufficient protected. Only other way is to use a USB drive that you know and move all your data/files onto that so that even if they take the laptop all your data is saved on to the USB and only you have it with you.