L
Luv4Life
Hi Microsoft, and the part of "the rest of the world" that comes here to
these newsgroups. I have an idea for a program, or a Windows Service, that
should be part of Windows' start-up sequence. This idea has come from much
of my own thought-time but also a lot of talking to people who have had their
laptop or computer stolen...and several more who haven't had that happen but
who do various things to protect against the possibility.
This can be done as a HotFix or update that is made available from Windows
Update....and without a delay of months and months.
This idea is a yes-no answer -- does the user desire this security ability
to be active or not? If so, then proceed..........
Have a service or program start when the computer boots up that waits a
certain length for a password, minutes or seconds and specified by the user.
There is no prompt or anything visible on the screen, it must run invisibly
and there can be no System Tray icon to show its presence -- it is simply
known/remembered by the user. If the password isn't entered in that
time-frame, everything on the hard drive is deleted. Yes, extreme &
irreversible (well unless you use an undelete program), but remember this
idea is for help when a computer/laptop is stolen and depending upon police
or a GPS thingy in the computer would be a fruitless waste of time when
thinking about protecting your files and data.
However, provide the option to specify the folders that are more important
and whose files must be deleted first (financial data, personal/private pics,
personal documents, family pics/info, etc., then move on from there) in case
the thief is computer-savvy and would unplug or turn off the computer to stop
it (or if a laptop, would quickly remove the battery cover and battery), even
if out of being bewildered for why the hard drive light is on or why the
computer isn't responding, and in that bewilderment wanting to quickly do the
most effective thing for removing power.
When the countdown expires, the keyboard and mouse get locked so that the
delete operation is protected from any "normal computer operation" attempt to
stop it.
If the computer boots to the Windows Login screen, then the countdown starts
when that screen is displayed. Otherwise, if the computer boots to the
desktop, the countdown starts just after the desktop icons & system tray
icons are displayed. Since there is more boot-up time after those icons
display, there will be awareness by the programmers (e.g., if a small number
of seconds is entered then the person will be prompted with a caution about
too little time) or awareness given to the user to allow for that extra time
when they enter the number of seconds or minutes.
If the computer boots to the Windows Login screen, then the secret password
must be entered before a username can be clicked on. The mouse may freely be
moved and clicked but no input will be accepted and no error message will be
displayed -- mouse click or keyboard-press received, and then thrown out just
as quickly, with no response/feedback. If the computer boots to the desktop,
then no mouse clicks or keyboard operations will be accepted until the
password is entered, and again no error message or feedback will be
displayed. Up to the programmers: if a lengthy period of time, then perhaps
allow mouse clicks & keyboard presses so that the computer acts normally and
thereby not acting suspicious.
If a person would want a last reminder just in case of possible
forgetfulness, or perhaps a rushed morning after waking up late and quickly
turning on the computer before rushing around for coffee or into the
bathroom, or in case of computer-illiterate and not able to think about such
a task every time they turn on their computer, then give the option to pop-up
a very small countdown window for the last so-many seconds that decrements
the number one second at a time. Nothing else, just a number that counts
down. If a person would want such a countdown window, then *only* one
keystroke will be allowed that the user would select in an option/setting,
and after that keystroke is entered, an asterisk is put next to the countdown
timer and then allow just such-and-such seconds to enter the password also
selectable by the user, while on the screen the number continues to zero with
no prompting for the password -- remember, it must act invisibly & unknown,
even to the point of being careful that someone who the computer owner is
with could be a potential thief only acting as a trusted friend (because yes
that happens out here "in the real world" away from office cubicles and etc).
If a person has opted to display that short last-second countdown window,
and if the keystroke & password are not entered (but then the computer is
turned off or powered down by a smartly-paranoid or smartly-cautious thief,
meaning Windows will still be in tact and it will boot the next time it's
turned on), then the next time the computer is booted, something special must
be done or accounted for regarding the countdown timer and what it will then
wait for (however, this last-seconds display must be allowed as an option for
those who are not computer-literate & who would still be taken by surprise by
such a serious implication as "do such-and-such or your hard drive will be
erased"). This is something for continued reflection and thought, perhaps
talking to random people on a street corner or coffee shop/cafe.
This Windows Service or program should be embedded into something
OS-oriented to prevent against possible tampering by the hard drive being
connected to another computer as a secondary hard drive. For the most
extreme of possibilities, someone tech-savvy could dupe someone who is
computer-illiterate into letting them work on their computer a short while,
and then take out the hard drive to connect it to another computer and
attempt to modify this "secret password" protection, while planning a later
theft in the back of their sick mind.
I've spoken with many people who've had their laptops stolen and other
less-serious computer mishaps happen regarding other people and uncertain
circumstances when the computer owner isn't around. This would be a most
welcome security measure by many people by the conversations I've had...to
me, so what about the number of people who wouldn't dare touch it, who think
it's excessive, or whatever, because if there are people who would use it
then that's good enough, especially since this is a simple off-on option.
And in the event of a mishap where even a computer owner gets ransacked by
this & important stuff is deleted, of course it's an understood consideration
that files would have to be backed-up on memory cards or Flash/Jump/Thumb
Drives. I sure know I'd use such a security measure, I would *welcome* it.
And it's simpler, or at least more effective, than the BIOS password at
boot-up. Think about the financial data files used by your financial
program; or the intimate pics & videos of you and your significant other that
are for only you two; or your family pics that, while not being ellicitly
compromising, are still very personal and private; or things by your kids or
pertaining to your kids; and the list can go on. A scumbag thief not able to
access special important stuff after a computer is stolen is worth
no-matter-how-many-times this would have to be entered at boot-up. I would
write this program but don't have sufficient programming tools, besides being
really active with different things in my spare time.
these newsgroups. I have an idea for a program, or a Windows Service, that
should be part of Windows' start-up sequence. This idea has come from much
of my own thought-time but also a lot of talking to people who have had their
laptop or computer stolen...and several more who haven't had that happen but
who do various things to protect against the possibility.
This can be done as a HotFix or update that is made available from Windows
Update....and without a delay of months and months.
This idea is a yes-no answer -- does the user desire this security ability
to be active or not? If so, then proceed..........
Have a service or program start when the computer boots up that waits a
certain length for a password, minutes or seconds and specified by the user.
There is no prompt or anything visible on the screen, it must run invisibly
and there can be no System Tray icon to show its presence -- it is simply
known/remembered by the user. If the password isn't entered in that
time-frame, everything on the hard drive is deleted. Yes, extreme &
irreversible (well unless you use an undelete program), but remember this
idea is for help when a computer/laptop is stolen and depending upon police
or a GPS thingy in the computer would be a fruitless waste of time when
thinking about protecting your files and data.
However, provide the option to specify the folders that are more important
and whose files must be deleted first (financial data, personal/private pics,
personal documents, family pics/info, etc., then move on from there) in case
the thief is computer-savvy and would unplug or turn off the computer to stop
it (or if a laptop, would quickly remove the battery cover and battery), even
if out of being bewildered for why the hard drive light is on or why the
computer isn't responding, and in that bewilderment wanting to quickly do the
most effective thing for removing power.
When the countdown expires, the keyboard and mouse get locked so that the
delete operation is protected from any "normal computer operation" attempt to
stop it.
If the computer boots to the Windows Login screen, then the countdown starts
when that screen is displayed. Otherwise, if the computer boots to the
desktop, the countdown starts just after the desktop icons & system tray
icons are displayed. Since there is more boot-up time after those icons
display, there will be awareness by the programmers (e.g., if a small number
of seconds is entered then the person will be prompted with a caution about
too little time) or awareness given to the user to allow for that extra time
when they enter the number of seconds or minutes.
If the computer boots to the Windows Login screen, then the secret password
must be entered before a username can be clicked on. The mouse may freely be
moved and clicked but no input will be accepted and no error message will be
displayed -- mouse click or keyboard-press received, and then thrown out just
as quickly, with no response/feedback. If the computer boots to the desktop,
then no mouse clicks or keyboard operations will be accepted until the
password is entered, and again no error message or feedback will be
displayed. Up to the programmers: if a lengthy period of time, then perhaps
allow mouse clicks & keyboard presses so that the computer acts normally and
thereby not acting suspicious.
If a person would want a last reminder just in case of possible
forgetfulness, or perhaps a rushed morning after waking up late and quickly
turning on the computer before rushing around for coffee or into the
bathroom, or in case of computer-illiterate and not able to think about such
a task every time they turn on their computer, then give the option to pop-up
a very small countdown window for the last so-many seconds that decrements
the number one second at a time. Nothing else, just a number that counts
down. If a person would want such a countdown window, then *only* one
keystroke will be allowed that the user would select in an option/setting,
and after that keystroke is entered, an asterisk is put next to the countdown
timer and then allow just such-and-such seconds to enter the password also
selectable by the user, while on the screen the number continues to zero with
no prompting for the password -- remember, it must act invisibly & unknown,
even to the point of being careful that someone who the computer owner is
with could be a potential thief only acting as a trusted friend (because yes
that happens out here "in the real world" away from office cubicles and etc).
If a person has opted to display that short last-second countdown window,
and if the keystroke & password are not entered (but then the computer is
turned off or powered down by a smartly-paranoid or smartly-cautious thief,
meaning Windows will still be in tact and it will boot the next time it's
turned on), then the next time the computer is booted, something special must
be done or accounted for regarding the countdown timer and what it will then
wait for (however, this last-seconds display must be allowed as an option for
those who are not computer-literate & who would still be taken by surprise by
such a serious implication as "do such-and-such or your hard drive will be
erased"). This is something for continued reflection and thought, perhaps
talking to random people on a street corner or coffee shop/cafe.
This Windows Service or program should be embedded into something
OS-oriented to prevent against possible tampering by the hard drive being
connected to another computer as a secondary hard drive. For the most
extreme of possibilities, someone tech-savvy could dupe someone who is
computer-illiterate into letting them work on their computer a short while,
and then take out the hard drive to connect it to another computer and
attempt to modify this "secret password" protection, while planning a later
theft in the back of their sick mind.
I've spoken with many people who've had their laptops stolen and other
less-serious computer mishaps happen regarding other people and uncertain
circumstances when the computer owner isn't around. This would be a most
welcome security measure by many people by the conversations I've had...to
me, so what about the number of people who wouldn't dare touch it, who think
it's excessive, or whatever, because if there are people who would use it
then that's good enough, especially since this is a simple off-on option.
And in the event of a mishap where even a computer owner gets ransacked by
this & important stuff is deleted, of course it's an understood consideration
that files would have to be backed-up on memory cards or Flash/Jump/Thumb
Drives. I sure know I'd use such a security measure, I would *welcome* it.
And it's simpler, or at least more effective, than the BIOS password at
boot-up. Think about the financial data files used by your financial
program; or the intimate pics & videos of you and your significant other that
are for only you two; or your family pics that, while not being ellicitly
compromising, are still very personal and private; or things by your kids or
pertaining to your kids; and the list can go on. A scumbag thief not able to
access special important stuff after a computer is stolen is worth
no-matter-how-many-times this would have to be entered at boot-up. I would
write this program but don't have sufficient programming tools, besides being
really active with different things in my spare time.