Sometimes you need to leave your computer unattended, but would like to prevent others from having access to your desktop.  Whether to prevent interruptions to your work or to keep your work away from prying eyes, you may want to lock your desktop down.

Assuming you already have set yourself a password protected account, the easiest way is just to hold down the Windows key and press "L."

If you use a keyboard that does not have a Windows key or a laptop (most don't have the Windows key), try the following:

Right click on an empty area of the desktop and choose 'new' then 'shortcut.' The create shortcut wizard will open; in the

first text box, type '%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation' and then give your shortcut an appropriate name on the next page, and hit 'finish.'

This will create a "LockDown" shortcut on your desktop, double click it and you're set.