Security: Walkthrough

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Note

For a complete view of Windows 7 resources, articles, demos, and guidance, please visit the Springboard Series for Windows 7 on the Windows Client TechCenter.
For a downloadable version of this document, see the Security on Your Terms: Walkthrough in the Microsoft Download Center (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=161927).

The step-by-step instructions in this walkthrough provide a brief tour of new security features in Windows® 7. The walkthrough for BitLocker To Go™ requires a portable drive, such as a USB flash drive.

To experience the new Action Center

  1. On the Windows 7 taskbar, click the Action Center icon. The Action Center icon is a white flag, which might have a red and white “X” on it.

  2. Click Open Action Center to open Action Center, as Figure 1 shows.

     

    Figure 1. Action Center

  3. Click the down arrow next to the Security and Maintenance headings, and look at the types of messages that the Action Center displays.

  4. In the Navigation pane, click Change Action Center settings.

  5. Clear the check box next to each type of message for which you do not want to receive messages, and then click OK.

  6. To force Action Center to display a message, turn off Windows Firewall:

    1. Click Start, type firewall, and then click Windows Firewall.

    2. In the Navigation pane, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off.

    3. For both private and public network locations, click Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended), and then click OK.

  7. On the Windows 7 taskbar, click the Action Center icon and then click Turn on Windows Firewall (Important) to enable Windows Firewall again.

To see your User Account Control configuration

  1. On the Windows 7 taskbar, click the Action Center icon and then click Open Action Center.

  2. In the Navigation pane, click Change User Account Control settings to open the User Account Control Settings dialog box, as Figure 2 shows.

     

    Figure 2. User Account Control Settings dialog box

  3. In the User Account Control Settings dialog box, move the slider up and down as you read the description of each setting.

To encrypt a portable USB drive by using BitLocker To Go

  1. Insert a portable USB drive, such as a USB flash drive, in the computer. Wait for Windows 7 to recognize the device and install its drive. Use a portable USB drive that does not contain important data.

  2. In Windows Explorer, right-click the portable USB drive, and then click Turn on BitLocker.

  3. On the Choose how you want to unlock this drive page, select the Use a password to unlock the drive check box. Type and confirm your password (see Figure 3), and then click Next.

     

    Figure 3. Encrypting a portable USB drive

  4. On the How do you want to store your recovery key? page, do one of the following:

    • Click Save the recovery key to a file, save the key to a secure location, and then click Next.

    • Click Print the recovery key, print the file, and then click Next.

  5. Click Start Encrypting.

To unlock a portable USB drive encrypted by using BitLocker To Go

  1. If the portable USB drive is still in the computer, remove it.

  2. Insert the portable USB drive in the computer.

  3. On the This drive is protected by BitLocker Drive Encryption page, type the password you used to encrypt the portable USB drive, and then click Unlock. If you want to automatically unlock the portable USB drive every time you insert it in the same computer, select the Automatically unlock on this computer from now on check box.