Re: Unauthorized Password Deletion

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I appreciate the additional suggestions, but you have to understand the set
up. We are a one computer family (2 adults, 4 kids) and so making access
physically difficult (remove the mouse/keyboard, lock the room) puts a lot of
inconvenience on the innocent users - including me. That is what I am doing
now anyway though. I just was looking for another way to stop the deviant
password deleter and so gain time of day control back and allow the innocent
ones access as they need it.

"Vanguard" wrote:

"Confounded in KC" <ConfoundedinKC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:E50039FE-BD24-4E3C-A3B0-233FE456652E@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks for the detail Vanguard, I will see if this stops the problem.
Just
want to be have some assurance that after I log off the computer at
night and
make sure the kids are in bed (or in their rooms), they don't sneak
back out
and stay on the computer all night.

"Vanguard" wrote:

"Confounded in KC" wrote ...
Well, I don't pretend to be too techno-savvy, but maybe this will
answer your
question. There is just one User Account - me, and it has
administrator
rights. When I start up the computer and Windows loads, you end up
at
the
blue welcome screen with my name as the only account. You have to
enter my
password to get in.


Sounds like you are using the Fisher-Price welcome screen. That will
only show the Administrator account until you define another
admin-level
account, then the Administrator account is hidden. I think the trick
is
to hit Ctrl+Alt+Del twice to get the regular non-fluffy login screen
where you can then enter Administrator for the account name. You
have
been logging under your own admin-level account but it looks like the
kids have been logging under the Administrator account.

The default after installation is a blank password for the
Administrator
account (although, I believe, you are prompted to specify a non-blank
password). With a blank password, anyone can login under the
Administrator account and do whatever they want.


Go into the BIOS and set a password (both a system and BIOS password).
This requries the password to get past the POST and load the OS or to
enter the BIOS setup screens. Then set the power options so the Power
button on the system case puts the system into Hibernate mode and that
the system goes into Hibernate mode after a period of inactivity. Or
just shutdown Windows and power off. Access is thwarted immediately.
Password crackers won't work because no OS has yet been loaded which is
required to run the password cracker.

Make sure to lock the case (most have a tang for adding a small padlock
or use the permanent-stick lock kits) so the kids don't open the case to
use the reset jumper to reset the BIOS settings (which would undue any
tweaks or settings that you configured, including the password).

Of course, why are you leaving the computer in a public room to which
they have access? Instead put it in a lockable room so they can't get
physical access to it. You can buy a stun gun for about $20 solely as a
"training aid".

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