RE: How does XP SP2 improve security for user

From: Marcel Velner (Velner_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 08/13/04 

Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 02:17:02 -0700

Hi,

for as far as i know, Microsoft has always stated that it is not that smart
to work on your machine only with admin rights. It makes the machine very
vulnerable to any malicious software.
Therefore it is a lot better to use a normal user account for your daytime
work and only use an admin account if it is necesarry (which in normal
daytime, is not very often, except of course if all you're doing is
(un)installing soft- and hardware)

But to your question : Administrators are also protected the same way a
normal user is, the firewall isn't shut down just because you're an admin.
Neither are the ie-updates disabled.

But to be on the safe side it is best to always use a normal user account.
This way it's also a lot harder to accidentally damage XP yourself.

Regards,

Marcel

"Philip Wang" wrote:

> Hi,
> I have read up most of the FAQs and advantages of the
> newly released XP SP2. But I cannot find one that address
> one of my concern: How does SP2 helps in reducing
> security vulnerability of user, who has local
> administrator rights?
>
> I have seen enhancement in internet explorer, windows
> firewall, etc. But none really explain local
> administrator users how they are protected.. Maybe
> Microsoft assumes that all users are having Users rights?
>
> Thanks.
>

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