Windows XP security/paranoia

I recently discovered one of my friends searching on my computer for private information about me (basically he was snooping for documents relating to my love life, and he managed to find some). The incident ended with me returning to my room and pulling out the power cord.

Now, I can of course just stop this by never letting anyone (or certain people) use my computer. However, I'd rather just limit their access.

I'm running XP home; it seems that the security options for user accounts are not very powerful. What I'd like to do is have the ability to completely block access to large parts of my computer (for example, to an entire drive). But it seems that the only files I can make private are those that reside in my user account.

On a related note, I'd quite like to get hold of those old "paranoia" features from Tweak UI, back when it used to be a great program. Unfortunately the XP version seems to lack these functions (as well as a lot of other ones).

So, any tech-gurus care to enlighten me?

I'll look for a program for you, but in the meantime give that supposed friend a good kicking.

Hopefully one of the programs in this list is what you're looking for.

http://www.softheap.com/

They're all shareware though so you'll need a serial.

here at home i have no issues, but i thought XP had a feature to password folders???

worse case scenario, zip them in a passworded zip file..

Take a look at Tweak Xp pro if you've the time

http://www.totalidea.com/frameset-products.htm

There's a few good features regarding privacy in that too. I think it lets you hide a disk drive from explorer and it also limits access to control panel etc. The trial of the program only gives you 30 executions, but if you take your time the first time you open it and set everything up the way you want, you should never have to open it again.

mike, try THIS page, or more specifically if you like.. THIS

the second link seems exactly what you need, and its free..

I'm downloading that now. I'll let you know if it's any good.

Cryptainer will only allow you to encrypt 10 megs of stuff per folder, it's a limitation of the free version.

You could just keep documents like that hidden away with your pr0n, where even you won't be able to find it again if you should forget. Or keep your door locked. :razz:

I've thought on this issue from time to time. my solution is complex/obscure file paths. it seems incredibly silly that you cannot put a password on folders though.

Thanks for the linkage, guys :smile: I will check out what's on offer...

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<TD bgColor=#151515>You could just keep documents like that hidden away with your pr0n, where even you won't be able to find it again if you should forget. Or keep your door locked. :razz: </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Well one solution is simply to be more organised with my filing - if I put all sensitive files under my user, then other users will not be able to access them.

And at least my pr0n is password-protected :wink:

And at least my pr0n is password-protected :wink:

Now now Mike, sharing is caring. :biggrin:

hope something i posted helps.. i am not real knowledgeable on such things.. but i do recommend www.download.com for anything you might need.. :smile:

I'm the only person who uses my computer, so the only person I have to fear is.. me...

Orpheus said:
hope something i posted helps.. i am not real knowledgeable on such things.. but i do recommend www.download.com for anything you might need.. :smile:

Downloads.com used to be great, but latly its really lost something. I used to be able to get all the files I needed from it, but now all it seems to be is full of broken links.

Hey ... it's not that difficult guys.

Create an admin account for you on your xp system, put your files somewhere in my documents, right-click, disabel sharing, put a password on you account.

Other accounts will not be able to view your documents.

(I'm using XP Home too, SP1 ... works great.)

And TweakUI for XP is still available in the XP powertoys download:

Info: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

TweakUI Download: http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/c/a/fca6767b-9ed9-45a6-b352-839afb2a2679/TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe

That is probably what I will end up doing, but I was inquiring about more versatile methods.

I know that tweakUI is still available for XP - I've got it! But the XP version lacks many of the old features.

It sucks that more 'saftey' features aren't built into Windows by deafault. "Why oh why would you ever want to protect your computer ??"

Anyway, I was going to suggest something along the lines of what force said, however, not exactly.

If you make a user on your computer which is NOT an Admin, you can make it so your friend can ONLY use that user, hell you can make it so they can't save anything short of intenet files (because its automatic, and the Temp directories are sort of backdoors through Windows security).

I'd suggest locking your computer all together by putting a password on it, in which you wouldn't even remember so you have it written down in a place only you know of, or something like that.

If you got REALLY paranoid, you can put a password on you BIOS so the moment you turn on the computer you have to put a password in, but I don't suggest that one.

If you just make a non admin user, and keep a password on all your other users (Meaning log specifically in to the user: Administrator and change the password for it as well, because usually it's nothing, and in which case your friend could easily log you out and access everything that way.)

Yeah, but Windows would be much better (in my opinion) if it has simple read, write flags. it has em for writting, but not really reading. You shouldn't have to move your whole freakin' drive to a zip file (And yes, Orph is technically right, that will work, but think about the hassle of reading anything inside of it).

Creating a new user would be easiest. Oh, I just looked it up, and it seems if you do create a 'Limited' user account, they can only access files they've created under that user, and all shared documents. Mess around with it until your paranoia goes away :smile:

There is a way to lock folders using DOS:

Start -> Run -> cmd

then type:

ren C:\\...\\[filename] [new filename].{2559a1f2-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

...this will lock the folder. To unlock it, simply type:

ren C:\\...\\[filename].{2559a1f2-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0} [new name]

This is not very good security as your pal can unlock the folder quite easily if he knows how to do. If he doesn't, this might be enough.

Does it have to be that particular code?

Yup. The folder symbol turns into a padlock.

Heh, that's pretty cool. Although anyone who's ever used DOS can easily circumvent it :/

Yeah I know, but it's enough to keep my little brother away from my stuff .

Alien_Sniper said:
Take a look at Tweak Xp pro if you've the time

http://www.totalidea.com/frameset-products.htm

This Tweak XP thing does the same thing to the folders. When I tried this shareware I looked a folder and forgot to remove the lock after the 30 tries(very annoying ). It took a while before I noticed the strange name...

Well my paranoia has gone away, since I've moved all my personal files into my user account. However, I'm deeply unimpressed by the WinXP user management tools. There's only one choice: "administrator" or "limited user". It seems that limited users can STILL install/uninstall some programs, and create files and folders outside of their user account.

I'd like to stop limited users from doing anything except using already-installed programs, changing superficial personal settings, and saving data inside their user account (up to a quota limit).

Gollum said:
Well my paranoia has gone away, since I've moved all my personal files into my user account. However, I'm deeply unimpressed by the WinXP user management tools.

I agree

To do all the proper user administration you need xp pro or 2000 pro I preffer 2000 cos its more like NT4 (well it would be cos it was called NT5 up till about a year before its release) and I had quite alot of experience with NT4 when I was administrating my schools network in my free periods.

Any way the pro version has all the stuff cos its made for buisnesses and not for home use and with the pro version you can stop users from installing/uninstalling and looking at files they havent created no matter where they are on the hd.

I know you probably already knew that but I thourght I'd let you know anyway.

Although remember how Win98 had a tendancy to 'decay' over time? WinXP seems to have the same thing with the user preferences/switching gubbins :sad:

caugh..

i know where a 2000pro is :smile:

Although remember how Win98 had a tendancy to 'decay' over time? WinXP seems to have the same thing with the user preferences/switching gubbins :sad:

That's called "extensive use of global variables in a working environment". They loose track of what variables are for what, so other developers use them and all of a sudden if you run paint at the same time as you create a file, that file is marked read only :smile: . This isn't specifically the case, but things like that happen.