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        New Message Board Archives >> Oct-Dec 2003 >> I need Computer Help Asap
        
(Message started by: Lori on Oct 27^th, 2003, 11:37pm)

Title: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Lori on Oct 27^th, 2003, 11:37pm

I need to know how to password protect my pc. I thought I had set it up, and one of my children bypassed it by hitting cancel! I do not want anyone to be able to boot this pc up all the way to windows without a password. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by brain_cramps on Oct 27^th, 2003, 11:52pm

LOL Lori! Smart kid..... I've been doing that at work for years. Sorry, can't help ya.

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Opus on Oct 28^th, 2003, 7:43am

Lori,

Which version of windows are you using? I have 98 and it is impossible to protect, I just got a free puter with win98se on it and without the password I could do anything on the machine. The safest way is to use the password protected bootup in the bios. That way you will not be able to bootup at all with out it. Then You can also use the password protect on windows screen saver, it seems fairly secure. But all in all the windows password at bootup is just for show.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Bob_Johnson on Oct 28^th, 2003, 7:51am

Sent you a private message via e-mail.

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by brain_cramps on Oct 28^th, 2003, 8:06am

The Windows password at bootup is to manage different configurations (ie. network connections). Different users might have use of different printers, network shares (shared disk drives), etc...

That's about all it is useful for. ::)

grant

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Opus on Oct 28^th, 2003, 8:15am

Grant,
Thanks, I knew it was for something.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Lori on Oct 28^th, 2003, 10:07am

I appreciate the input here. My main concern here is I want to be able to block use of the internet with a password. Can this be done? If so, how? I have Windows 98 and high speed internet connection. How can I make it so the internet can't be accessed unless I allow it? Am I going to have to pull the power cord here?? Thank you very much for helping me here.

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Opus on Oct 28^th, 2003, 10:26am

Lori,
Go to, start/ settings/ control panel/ network/
In the middle you should see, Primary network logon set to client for microsoft networks, when you reboot you will get a logon where you can put a password, reboot again to have password come up, I don't know if this is secure, even if this is secure you still need a firewall if you don't have one get zonealarm

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp?lid=zadb_zadown

And while your in network click on the "file and print sharing " button and uncheck both buttons.

You can also lock your internet connection with zonealarm.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by TomM on Oct 28^th, 2003, 10:56am

Why not set up a BIOS password? The BIOS (basic input/output system) is the program that runs at boot up before the OS (Windoze) loads.
When your PC boots, watch the monitor and it should prompt you to press something like F2 "To Enter Setup". Enter the setup utility and locate the section that enables password. Be sure to write this down. Sure as God made green apples when you need to change it, or remove it, you'll forget how to do it. Also write down the password because if you don't use it you lose it.
TomM

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Prense on Oct 28^th, 2003, 8:47pm

on 10/28/03 at 10:56:03, TomM wrote:

Why not set up a BIOS password?

There are ways around that as well...

Never underestimate the knowledge of kids.

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Unsolved on Oct 28^th, 2003, 9:11pm

Or you could do it the easy way and upgrade to Windows XP. Setting up individuals accounts is a snap and unless your kids are hackers ... they won't do anything you wont allow them to. :)

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Opus on Oct 28^th, 2003, 9:24pm

HAhaha,
WindowsXP, what a night mare, yes it has true password protection but it runs so slow, my PIII450 on win98 blows away my mothers P4 on winXP, when I work on it I hate the click and wait. The best way to protect all of the computer would be Bios password, only defeatable by opening the case and a Linux OS, only defeatable by reformating. Actually no computer is uncrackable, no matter what you are running.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Lori on Oct 28^th, 2003, 9:35pm

WOW! Thanks all for the help. My kids are not hackers but I do want to have control over their internet usage so it's not overused, and only used in my presence, etc. Thanks for the help. I do have zonealarm already but didn't know I could lock the internet with it..so I'll check out that route first as it seems easiest. Thanks again!!

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Mark C on Oct 29^th, 2003, 10:06am

CMOS power on password is pretty good on Windows, however it can be bypassed pretty easy, if you know how!

XP slow?...not mine, runs circles around everything I have which currently includes a PI @ 166 (WIN95), PII @ 450(WIN98SE), PIII @ 733 (WIN2000PRO) and P4 @ 1.9 with XP PRO, all on at least a T-1. I have had a couple of years to tweak the XP box, it is bloated bad out of the box...all Windows boxes need tweaking out of the box though.

MagicTweak (http://www.magictweak.com/magictw.htm) will allow you to control all users setting down to the most small detail and then you can password the control program, kinda like a network tool. I use it on several boxes at work and can render them pretty safe from any unwanted use. You can disable just about everything about Windows, from the Start Menu items to any of the Control panel settings and any program....neat program. I may even have a copy somewhere if you want it. Access Manager for Windows (http://www.softstack.com/accmen.html) is another but I doubt it does more than Magic Tweak.

There are good and bad with all and I can crack XP's password in about 2 minutes. I would tell you how but I would have to kill you! ;;D

I think I will formalize my Microsoft trainng next year, might as well, I will always have a job as long as Windows exists.

Safe Surfing,
Mark

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Opus on Oct 29^th, 2003, 10:30am

Mark,
That's true, I haven't tweeked my mothers XP (actually I havn't dared) and my 98 is tweeked to the max. She says it is fast enough for her, she upgraded from a 100mhz PI with 50mB of simms.

Thanks for the links.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Mark C on Oct 29^th, 2003, 6:11pm

If I remember there were about 43 processes running stock out of the box with XP. I have trimed that down to about 23 on normal start up, which is still like 15 more than good ole Win 98.

Black Viper (http://blackviper.com) has a good chart on what processes are truly needed and just what all of that crap does. One thing I miss with XP is MSCONFIG. They replaced it with "services" which is much more congested than MSCONFIG was.....oh well, wait till Longhorn (http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/longhorn_alpha.asp) or Palladium (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2002/jul02/0724palladiumwp.asp) gets here. If M$ gets their way you will only "rent" you OS for a year at a time and then you will have to break out the credit card to keep computing.....geez...what a business model.

PFDAN"s
Mark

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Opus on Oct 29^th, 2003, 8:03pm

Mark,
Thanks again for another good link. Right now the peaple I help except for mother have win98 or winme, but the day is coming when I will get a phone call about XP.
I heard theat M$ will have a end date on all their software, and it will become unuseable after that date without an upgrade, of course no one owns most software anyway, you pay for the right to use it as long as they wish, I surprised that M$ hasn't tried to pull Win95/98/NT completly out of the market. I know there is something going on when Winxp backup program wants to act as a server on the internet, I guess Bill wants to know why someone wouldn't trust restore to fix any problems.

Anyway I will soon be leaving the M$ world and since I am not a gamer I won't miss it.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Mark C on Oct 30^th, 2003, 2:42pm

Paul,
I have a odd little story about XP...the biggest problem I have had to date. MS Word crashed and wanted to send an error report to M$ which I declined.....instantly my firewall dectected XP trying to send the report anyway, even though I said no, it tried to. I could not open M$ Word untill I allowed that error report to be sent, it told me "I did not have permission" to access the Word program. It really pissed me off, this is a paid for licenced copy all legal and I was FORCED to allow error reporting even though I was give a choice not to...only it was not a true statemant......geez.....what a company. I wish I was Bill Gates....80% profit and over 90% market share. I do not think that is good for computing in general, especially security wise.....oh well...onward through the fog.

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/public_html/yabbimages/smileys/damncomputer.gif

See Ya,
Mark

Title: Re: I need Computer Help Asap
Post by Opus on Oct 30^th, 2003, 5:21pm

Mark,
Ever since Win89's shell/GUI included web integration more and more M$ programs have been "Phoning Home" including the OS, So lets see if you happened not to have a internet connection and the program you paid for crashed you would have to get the internet so it could report the error? and worse yet it lied to you and said you had a choice.

I have a M$ story for you, When I got my computer I got a copy of office 2000 with it. When I installed it it wanted to "phone home" to get the registration key to make it work after 20 times. I never dared to do it and the wizard was resistant to my feeble cracking attempts so I let it sit. This year I installed it again with the intention of letting the wizard do it's thing without any fear "I guess I thought Bill ruled the world then" but it never came up. Whether Bill had already known when XP would come out and 2000 would be obsolete or the replacement shell I am using blocked the program I will never know, all I know is that with word 2000 my wife pulls out twice as much hair and I am even more glade I use Abiword..

The fog has lifted and I see the light!

Opus/Paul