Need to Lockdown Computer-Windows XP

[Guest]

I have a situation where we are trying to limit access to a computer with
Windows XP. We have set up a user account with a password, but the person we
are trying to keep off the computer knows how to get around the login process
( I can ellaborate how he does this if I need to).

Is there another way or other software that will lockdown a computer?

 

[Matt Gibson]

XP Pro or XP Home?

How is the person getting around the login process?

Matt Gibson - GSEC

 

[Guest]

If physical access is not restricted, access to data stored on any machine
cannot be completely blocked by just software solutions alone. That is one of
the many reasons why Servers are keep under lock and key (or electronic) for
example.

If data is confidential, consider using EFS to encrypt. Make sure that you
have an offline backup of the key though.

Do let us know if this helps. Thanks!

 

[Guest]

He was able to get around it by rebooting the computer and starting in safe
mode. Then he would log in as adminstrator which gave him access to change
the user's password. You see, we were logging off the computer and
considering it "locked".

I did figure out the answer, that by taking away the Welcome screen,
disallowing the Guest feature and by pressing ctl-alt-del then choosing the
"lock computer" button it truly locks the computer down. Even safe mode
won't get around it.

I appreciate your time, thank you.

Bev

 

[Malke]

He was able to get around it by rebooting the computer and starting in
safe
mode. Then he would log in as adminstrator which gave him access to
change
the user's password. You see, we were logging off the computer and
considering it "locked".

I did figure out the answer, that by taking away the Welcome screen,
disallowing the Guest feature and by pressing ctl-alt-del then
choosing the
"lock computer" button it truly locks the computer down. Even safe
mode won't get around it.

It's great that you solved this, but I do want to point out that as
Desmond Lee said, if a computer is physically accessible by someone
with enough time and skill, it can be gotten into. This has nothing to
do with the operating system being run since the usual access method is
not through the installed operating system. If lock and key isn't
possible, you can at least:

a) Go into the BIOS and change the boot order so the machine only boots
from the hard drive;

b) Set a BIOS password so that no one else can change the BIOS settings.

Malke

 

[Bruce Chambers]

He was able to get around it by rebooting the computer and starting in safe
mode. Then he would log in as adminstrator which gave him access to change
the user's password. You see, we were logging off the computer and
considering it "locked".

If you didn't want this user to have access to the computer, why in the
world did you give him the password to the Administrator account?


--

Bruce Chambers

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You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[James]

This is a problem, but, if you are running win xp pro then you can restrict
access to their account !!! You do this by clicking "start", open "Run" in
the box type (without quotations) "LUSRMGR.MSC". Then it 'should' load a
console root box, click on "users" then on the right hand side find the name
of the user you are restricting access. The click "disable accout" (i think
it says this). Close it down restart machine, then hey presto they cant get
it. The only problem is if they get on to a administrators account then they
can change this back!!!! Hope this helps. Alternativly you can buy/download
software whcih locks your PC with a password look for a program call "PC
Lockup" or something simular !