How to stop unauthorised/unwanted downloads?

[Guest]

I have a problem with my family (dont we all!) they cant seem to help it but
they are constantly downloading crap from the internet and clogging my PC up
with it all!

I mean today my sis downloaded something off the net while i was at work
and, well you know all the usual add-ons that you get, toolbars etc. well she
doesn't say no to them and 99% of the time when i come to go on my PC i have
a desktop full of shortcuts to programs ive never heard of, an internet
browser full with about 5 different toolbars/search bars and a hard drive
full of probable spyware infected rubbish that i dont want!

My question is, is there any way i can protect my PC so that they'd need a
password to download stuff, therefore i'd have control over the stuff they
download. I cant add a username and password to stop them from getting on the
PC as my dad paid half towards it so he wont allow that, is there anything i
can do?

 

[Leythos]

I have a problem with my family (dont we all!) they cant seem to help it but
they are constantly downloading crap from the internet and clogging my PC up
with it all!

I mean today my sis downloaded something off the net while i was at work
and, well you know all the usual add-ons that you get, toolbars etc. well she
doesn't say no to them and 99% of the time when i come to go on my PC i have
a desktop full of shortcuts to programs ive never heard of, an internet
browser full with about 5 different toolbars/search bars and a hard drive
full of probable spyware infected rubbish that i dont want!

My question is, is there any way i can protect my PC so that they'd need a
password to download stuff, therefore i'd have control over the stuff they
download. I cant add a username and password to stop them from getting on the
PC as my dad paid half towards it so he wont allow that, is there anything i
can do?

Sure, many quality low end firewall devices will allow you to block
downloading of files through web browsing - you can either block all or
you can permit what you want or you can block specific items.

The DFL-700 will block downloads as well as websites by name or wildcard
names.

 

[Detlev Dreyer]

I have a problem with my family (dont we all!) they cant seem to help
it but they are constantly downloading crap from the internet and
clogging my PC up with it all!

Create different user accounts with limited privileges only.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have a problem with my family (dont we all!) they cant seem to help it but
they are constantly downloading crap from the internet and clogging my PC up
with it all!

I mean today my sis downloaded something off the net while i was at work
and, well you know all the usual add-ons that you get, toolbars etc. well she
doesn't say no to them and 99% of the time when i come to go on my PC i have
a desktop full of shortcuts to programs ive never heard of, an internet
browser full with about 5 different toolbars/search bars and a hard drive
full of probable spyware infected rubbish that i dont want!

My question is, is there any way i can protect my PC so that they'd need a
password to download stuff, therefore i'd have control over the stuff they
download. I cant add a username and password to stop them from getting on the
PC as my dad paid half towards it so he wont allow that, is there anything i
can do?

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q308418

HOW TO Use the Internet Explorer 6 Content Advisor to Control Access
to Web Sites in Internet Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310401

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp

Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sharedaccess/default.mspx

Doug Knox's Windows® XP Security Console
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm


--

Bruce Chambers

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