What Is The Windows Security Button? (And How To Use It)

The tech world has evolved so much, we’ve seen devices evolve into even smarter devices with newly improved technology. Presently, new devices irrespective of the operating system, come with a physical security button that allows users to unlock their devices. But how do these security buttons work on Windows devices? How does one use them? And what’s their use?

The Windows Security button allows you to log in to your device, thereby giving you access to its functions. The Windows Security button is similar to the function of Ctrl+Alt+Delete. The only difference is, the button comes with portable devices like tabs and the Ctrl+Alt+Delete comes with PCs.

In this article, I’ll explore the need for the Windows Security button, how to enable the button on different devices and where the button can be found.

What Is The Windows Security Button?

The need for the Windows Security button arose because when you try to unlock your device on a Windows OS tablet, you can’t access the keyboard hence being unable to access the function of the Windows Security button. The function of a Windows Security button is similar to the Ctrl+Alt+Delete button and since on some tablets, you can’t access the keyboard without unlocking the device, this function will be inaccessible thereby leading to the addition of the physical Windows Security button to newly produced Windows os tablets. 

On Personal Computers, the secure attention sequence (SAS)- otherwise known as the Ctrl+Alt+Delete button- is a hardware-generated non-maskable interrupt (NMI) that can only be handled by the kernel version of your computer and can’t be suppressed, in other words, keeping your computer secure and non-maskable. 

On Windows-enabled tablets, since the on-screen keyboard is software and not hardware, it can’t generate the Ctrl+Alt+Delete function (SAS/NMI function). To solve this problem, Windows developers created the Windows Security button to perform this function perfectly. The Windows Security button provides this function on tablets and other Windows devices that are not supposed to be used with a hardware keyboard. 

How To Use The Windows Security Button?

If you’ve chosen to use your Windows tablet devices with an external traditional keyboard, you might be able to overwrite the need for the Windows Security button. Since you have an external keyboard connected to your tablet, you can forgo logging in using the Windows Security button and just stick with using the traditional Ctrl + Alt + Delete button format. It’s also important to note that not all tablets will be manufactured with a Windows Security button hence, using the traditional format also works especially for established Windows users. 

You can use the touchscreen feature while using a Windows tablet PC, or select buttons by the side of the screen of the tablet depending on the way the tablet is designed by the manufacturer. For instance, If your tablet comes with a security button, you can press that button to access Windows Security settings. You can also change the function of that security button to open the log-in screen of your tablet PC.

How To Enable The Windows Security Button To Login On Your Tablet Pcs:

• Step 1: Click “Start” on your Tablet homepage to open the pc menu. Navigate to the “Control Panel” and tap it to access your tablet settings.

• Step 2: Tap “Mobile PC” and navigate to the “Tablet PC settings” option. Your Tablet PC Settings window will pop open on your screen.

• Step 3: Click the “Buttons” tab and tap the screen orientation of your button from the “Button settings for” options. 

• Step 4: Tap “Windows Security” from the “Tablet button” options. After this, click “Change”.

• Step 5: Select “Log On” from the “Press” options. This will define the action you need the button to perform.

• Step 6: Tap “Ok” twice then, close the open Windows. This is the end of the setup. You can test the setup by pressing the “Windows Security” button on your tablet to open the Windows log-in screen. 

Where Is The Windows Security Button?

To determine where the Windows Security button is found, this depends on your type of device and the manufacturer of your device. If your device is a Windows tablet PC, a button usually comes with it or, if it’s an older version, you can use your external keyboard and use the traditional Ctrl+Alt+Delete to access the Windows Security button function. If you’re using a Personal Computer, this is also dependent on your device but the general knowledge is to use the Ctrl+Alt+Delete to access the feature. 

Where Is The Windows Security Button On A Tablet Pc?

Depending on your manufacturer, the Windows Security button might come on the side of the tablet or beside the tablet’s screen. It’s also important to emphasize that some tablets do not come with the Windows Security button. Instead, you can use the Ctrl + Alt + Delete button on your external keyboard connected to the tablet. 

Where Is The Windows Security Button On A Windows Pc?

On most Windows PCs, there’s not an exact Windows Security button since they already come with a built-in keyboard that can access the same function as the Windows Security button while pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete. Hence, to access the feature, all you need to do is to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. 

Where Is The Windows Security Button On A Macbook? 

After switching from Windows to Mac, you’ll notice the difference in the operating system as the Mac operates with the popularly known Mac OS. Hence, there’s no Windows Security function for this particular device as its OS is different from the Windows os. But the same Ctrl+Alt+Delete function (task manager) can be performed with Mac’s Command + option + Esc, hence by pressing this button on your Mac, you can access the Mac OS version of the Windows OS Ctrl+Alt+Delete function.

How To Remove The Windows Security Button To Log In? 

The Windows Security button function can be changed from login just like how I relayed earlier in this article or contact your IT Support team for assistance. Following the steps, you can change the function of the Windows Security button from login to any other function you’d prefer.