Win XP question

[freakbrother 0]

Ok,the GF's 15 year old son has been viewing porno sites on his sister's laptop. The machine is running XP Pro. The sister wants to set a password to keep little brother off.

Clicking on "user accounts" in the control panel does absolutely nothing, no window opens or anything.

I don't use XP, and I can't figure out what's up. (I know how to do it in Win2000)

Can anyone help?

(and F*&k Bill Gates)

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www.freak-brother.com

[Zee 0]

Your best bet would be to set a password in the BIOS as opposed to in Windows XP. that way you can't even boot the machine up without first entering a password.

Action©Sports

[CrazyIvan 0]

If you know the ADMINISTRATOR passsword, login, if you get the same result it means that the credentials have been "compromised" in other words, some virus/worm etc has messed up the system, solution?: Wipe the machine off and start from scratch.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[CrazyIvan 0]

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Your best bet would be to set a password in the BIOS as opposed to in Windows XP. that way you can't even boot the machine up without first entering a password.

BIG NO-NO!!, I would never advise that since you:

1- May forget the password
2- A power surge could reset the BIOS and you're toasted (or any other bad thing)

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[mattjw916 2]

First, reboot your computer just in case...

Open up Control Panel and click on "User Accounts"... a screen similar to the image below should appear.

Disable/Create user accounts and password protect them as necessary. If you want to get rid of the "Welcome" screen click on the "Change the way users log on and off" button. The wizards are rather self-explanitory. If nothing happens when you click on user accounts I would suggest de-spywaring/virus scanning your computer first and then hit "Windows Update" to get recent patches.

If you are Windows 2000 savy you can use the "Computer Management" console to create/disable/pwd protect acccounts by right-clicking "My Computer" and selecting "Manage" and then navigating to the "Local Users and Groups" section.

Good luck...

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[freakbrother 0]

Quote

First, reboot your computer just in case...

Open up Control Panel and click on "User Accounts"... a screen similar to the image below should appear.

Disable/Create user accounts and password protect them as necessary. If you want to get rid of the "Welcome" screen click on the "Change the way users log on and off" button. The wizards are rather self-explanitory. If nothing happens when you click on user accounts I would suggest de-spywaring/virus scanning your computer first and then hit "Windows Update" to get recent patches.

If you are Windows 2000 savy you can use the "Computer Management" console to create/disable/pwd protect acccounts by right-clicking "My Computer" and selecting "Manage" and then navigating to the "Local Users and Groups" section.

Good luck...

OK, your first suggestion didn't work (doing it from Control Panel). No window opens for "user accounts".

I can create a new password protected user using your second method, but I haven't been able to password protect any existing accounts???.

I'm wondering if the porno sites didn't bring some disease with them.

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www.freak-brother.com

[AggieDave 6]

Tell the little guy to go to http://www.pinkworld.com

That'll take care of his needs I'm sure.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[CrazyIvan 0]

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I'm wondering if the porno sites didn't bring some disease with them.

Probably caught TheClap.WS32.VBS

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[AggieDave 6]

You'll need to download BlueStarOintment from symantec.com for the Crabs.ws32.vbs variation of TheClap.ws32.vbs.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[CrazyIvan 0]

Quote

You'll need to download BlueStarOintment from symantec.com for the Crabs.ws32.vbs variation of TheClap.ws32.vbs.

And hope you didn't get Herpes.worm.32.js

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[AggieDave 6]

There are some things that the penicilin hotfix from MS just doesn't clean...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[freakbrother 0]

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You'll need to download BlueStarOintment from symantec.com for the Crabs.ws32.vbs variation of TheClap.ws32.vbs.

That is very likely. Some of the stuff he was looking at was pretty nasty.

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www.freak-brother.com

[AggieDave 6]

Any midgets? Holy crap if he's 15 and looking at midget porn.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[CrazyIvan 0]

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Any midgets? Holy crap if he's 15 and looking at midget porn.

I hope he wasn't looking at FAT-DISGUSTING-MILFS

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[vid666 0]

***2- A power surge could reset the BIOS and you're toasted (or any other bad thing) [url]

Please do tell.

seriously.

[Zee 0]

Quote

Quote

Your best bet would be to set a password in the BIOS as opposed to in Windows XP. that way you can't even boot the machine up without first entering a password.

BIG NO-NO!!, I would never advise that since you:

1- May forget the password

2- A power surge could reset the BIOS and you're toasted (or any other bad thing)

Let's see, you may forget the password if it's set in the BIOS but never if it's set in OS?

If your BIOS is fried by a power spike you're fucked weather you have it password protected or not.

The simple fact is that it offers better protection against unauthorized use of the computer - All you have to do is WRITE DOWN THE PASSWORD.

Action©Sports

[mattjw916 2]

your computer is completely fux0r'd... that is my professional opinion

BIOS passwords are kinda lame IMHO since they can usually be cleared by closing a jumper on the motherboard or some other equally simple process...

tell him to cut down on the g0atsex

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[Sinkster 0]

I think most motherboards have jumper settings to reset the BIOS password in case it's forgotten. I would never secure my PC with a BIOS password for that reason except from most 15 year olds who wouldn't know how to get by it. :)

Edit:
Better hope the 15 year old doesnt discover Knoppix.

[CrazyIvan 0]

Quote

Let's see, you may forget the password if it's set in the BIOS but never if it's set in OS?

Yeah, but if you forget the BIOS password you WON'T BE ABLE TO EVEN BOOT THE SYSTEM, unlike the system's password, you can reformat or take other measures.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[mattjw916 2]

Even the most mediocre computer user will be able to look up how to defeat a BIOS password and clear the CMOS with ease.

An OS-level password is MUCH more effective at keeping people off of a computer and requires a bit more skill to defeat... and often cannot be defeated at all if even the most rudimentary steps are taken to secure the OS, i.e. not use default usernames, clear last username, and enforcing of password complexity requirements and ageing.

If you wanna be really anal you can use the BIOS to restrict the computer to boot off of the hard drive only without searching removeable media for a bootsector, then pwd protect it... THEN rename the administrator account and give it a "strong" password and disable/delete all the other accounts... you now have a moderately "hardened" computer.

Cheers

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[Zee 0]

Quote

Quote

Let's see, you may forget the password if it's set in the BIOS but never if it's set in OS?

Yeah, but if you forget the BIOS password you WON'T BE ABLE TO EVEN BOOT THE SYSTEM, unlike the system's password, you can reformat or take other measures.

Yes Ivan, THAT'S THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT. The 15 year old porno freak won't be able to boot the PC. DOH!

Now, if you're so senile that you can't remember a simple password even after WRITING IT DOWN then you'll be re-formatting your damned harddrive every day anyway if your password is stored in the OS. Then again, if you bothered to read the previous posts, or an instruction manual for any motherboard, you would see that you are NOT fucked if you forget the password if it's stored in the BIOS. Once again - move jumper or dip-switch to clear password without wiping out all of your valuable data.

Once again, Ivan - WRITE DOWN YOUR PASSWORD Damn, this conversation is giving me a headache - it's like talking to a shoe

Action©Sports

[Zee 0]

Quote

Even the most mediocre computer user will be able to look up how to defeat a BIOS password and clear the CMOS with ease.

An OS-level password is MUCH more effective at keeping people off of a computer and requires a bit more skill to defeat... and often cannot be defeated at all if even the most rudimentary steps are taken to secure the OS, i.e. not use default usernames, clear last username, and enforcing of password complexity requirements and ageing.

If you wanna be really anal you can use the BIOS to restrict the computer to boot off of the hard drive only without searching removeable media for a bootsector, then pwd protect it... THEN rename the administrator account and give it a "strong" password and disable/delete all the other accounts... you now have a moderately "hardened" computer.

Cheers

You're absolutely correct - but, I thought we were talking about a little porno obsessed kid. Then again, hormones can be quite powerful stuff.

But, but, but - what if you forget the password??

Action©Sports

[shropshire 0]

Greetings..
OS password by-pass/resetting is also easy - you just need a 'special' boot disk (see http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/) you DO NOT need to loose ANY data on your P.C by reformatting (that sooo old hat!)

So really, your best option is physical security - stop the little bugger using the computer al all.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[CrazyDave 0]

your user accounts menu should work...

try logging on as the ADMINISTRATOR account (sometimes only accessable if you boot in safe mode)

then check on there... if it still doesnt work i'd definatly get out the virus scanners, the firewall, the Hyjack this program, the spyware removal (S&D, Adaware etc)