How to Secure Windows 7 Computer by Locking User Accounts after Specified Invalid Logons?

There are times when users forget their passwords and they keep on attempting logging on using wrong passwords. By default Windows 7 allows users to retry logging on to the computer unlimited number of times. In home environment this default configuration is ideal and doesn’t require any modifications. However in production environment this may offer promising advantages to hackers and they can continue trying invalid logon attempts till they get success. As an administrator you can limit the number of invalid logon attempts by following the steps given below:

1. Logon to the computer with administrator account.
2. Click on Start button.
3. At bottom of start menu in search box type gpedit.msc command and press enter key.
4. On Local Group Policy Editor snap-in under Computer Configuration expand Windows Settings and then expand Security Settings.
5. From the opened list expand Account Policies and from the list click on Account Lockout Policy and from the right pane double click on Account lockout threshold.
6. On Account lockout threshold Properties box in the editable textbox specify the number of invalid logon attempts after which that particular account with be locked and click on Ok button. Alternatively you can change
7. On Suggested Value Changes box accept the default configuration by clicking on Ok button and close Local Group Policy Editor snap-in.
8. 
9. Open Command Prompt and in command window type gpupdate /force to update here computer policy with latest configuration.
10. Close Command Prompt.