Re: XP Pro vs. Home?

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Bruce Chambers (bruce_a_chambers_at_h0tmail.com)
Date: 10/13/04 

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 19:01:34 -0600

Colin Barnhorst wrote:
> I do not consider Home suitable for a laptop. Home does not support
> encryption and since most laptops link to a web or net by wireless,
> this is not very good. Ask the vendor to give you a price on an
> upgrade to Pro. Pro also has better power management tools for
> laptops.

    Are you, by any chance, confusing wireless network communications
encryption, which WinXP Home does support, with NTFS file encryption,
which is available only in WinXP Pro? I ask this because you
specifically mention wireless networking, but not the dangers of
irretrievable data loss inherent in a poorly implemented file
encryption habit.

    For most businesses, and many other travelers, file encryption is
a wise precaution, provided it's properly and safely implemented.
However, we see posts in these newsgroups each and every day from
experienced users - not to mention the average users - who have
permanently lost access to their encrypted data simply because they
neglected the elemental precaution of backing up their encryption
keys. Personally, I'd really hesitate to recommend the use of EFS to
any but the most experienced, knowledgeable, and conscientious of
computer users. 

-- 
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on 
having
both at once. - RAH

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The ugly side of using disk encryption
    ... That is good info about DriveCrypt. ... because compusec only supports 128 bit AES encryption. ... My forensic laptops are all DriveCrypted, I have let at least 50 different ... > EARN A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION ASSURANCE - ONLINE ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • Re: XP Pro vs. Home?
    ... Home does not support ... > encryption and since most laptops link to a web or net by wireless, ... > upgrade to Pro. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics)
  • RE: Whole disk encryption
    ... We use SafeBoot on all our laptops and even on a bunch of dekstops. ... For specific data you can also use the content encryption future to ... WHY would you choose to NOT do full disk? ...
    (Focus-Microsoft)
  • Re: EFS | Encryption | import private key
    ... the certificate of 1 DRA on all the laptops" It's not 100% true. ... same DRA certificat on all laptops when we will "deploy" the EFS encryption. ...
    (microsoft.public.security)
  • Re: Differences between XP Home and XP Pro
    ... My greatest concern is the use of Home on laptops. ... allow encryption I think it is an unwise choice and urge the use of Pro ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics)