
Correct having a password situation on your PC in Windows 11 isn’t a definite capacity to slay hackers from physically having win admission to to your PC — certain, it’s going to also furthermore be bypassed. But there is one more security measure you might perchance be ready to take.
For another layer of safety, you might perchance be ready to turn a humble USB pressure actual into an exact key that will lock and unlock your PC, making it noteworthy more durable for intruders to accomplish win admission to. Here’s how…
What to accomplish…
Windows 11 has a facility to situation up an exact USB key. But I desire to utilize the free third-occasion app USB Raptor, which provides me a tiny bit more retain watch over over how my key works.
- Get hold of a USB flash pressure with out any recordsdata loaded on it. I’m the utilization of the SanDisk 16GB Ultra Fit, which cost me $9 on Amazon.
- Download and install USB Raptor and begin the app. This can also starting up in configuration mode with three steps to complete to situation up your precise key.
- Step 1: Decide an encryption password and write it down somewhere so that you don’t forget it.
- Step 2: Fade on your USB flash pressure and settle on the fair pressure letter it used to be dispensed. Now click Produce k3y file.
- Step 3: Sooner than you enable USB Raptor, you’ll desire to create a backdoor login whenever you happen to lose your key.

USB Raptor launches a three step configuration route of.
Dominic Bayley / Foundry
Produce a backdoor login
- In the head-appropriate corner of the app click in the box subsequent to Developed configuration.
- Click on Lock facets in the head menu. Navigate all of the model down to Backdoor win admission to.
- Now click Generate RUID file. This might perchance occasionally create a file on your desktop that will attend you bypass the lockscreen whenever you happen to forget your password and the USB secret’s eliminated out of your PC.

Organising the RUID file for backdoor win admission to in USB Raptor.
Dominic Bayley / Foundry
Pro tip: If you’re now not thinking about the utilization of USB Raptor, there are numerous a selection of security apps to settle on between. Two others encompass Predator and Rohos Logon Key Free. Whereas about a of what you might perchance be ready to accomplish in these apps is free you have got to pay to unlock a chunky suite of facets.
Extra things to designate:
- Make certain to ticket your USB flash pressure security key so that you never mix it up with a selection of drives you possess.
- Exhaust a USB pressure with a rapid learn/write tempo to form your login quicker.
- Sooner than you create a key, abet up your recordsdata to form obvious you don’t lose it.
If you’ve adopted the steps above, it’s top to now have an exact key that will form your PC more precise — as successfully as backdoor win admission to in case the relaxation goes despicable. If you don’t desire to utilize your key, merely deactivate it in the app.
Additional reading: The formulation to turn a USB flash pressure actual into a conveyable gaming console
Author: Dominic Bayley, Australian Editor, PCWorld
Based in Australia, Dominic Bayley is a hardcore tech fanatic. His PCWorld focal level is on PC gaming hardware: laptops, mice, headsets and keyboards.