The Passwords Control Panel remains the same as before, and therefore remains reasonably confusing. The Passwords do not really refer to security, but merely to user profiles, which contain all the user settings for the machine. This is useful if you have one machine used by different people, who have different Start menu layouts, different Desktop Themes in use, etc. You can, in User Preferences, stop this from happening and force everyone to see the same settings.

When you start Windows 98 you get the Windows password system that asks for a User name and password. If you make changes to the settings then you won't change everyone else's settings, only your own. If you want to change the password you use, then it is in this Control Panel you do it, from the Change Windows Password button. The Other Passwords button refer to other software that may require passwords, like network clients, which you can also change here.

The Remote Administration tab allows you to authorise others to administer and service your PC remotely over the network.

The settings that won't be stored individually are system ones, like volume control or device preferences, like Input. The Windows password can simply be cancelled at startup for a user to log on with the default settings, so this password system does not prevent access.