Preventing or deleting deleted content and histories

[tondog64]

I have a Pavilion 533w/XP and a girlfriend who is unrelenting in her
nosiness. Is there any way to permanently remove anything that has been
emptied from the recycle bin or anything that might otherwise show up in
recent documents? I'm not looking to hide anything from CSI, just my
girlfriend. She seems to have found a history of all kinds of stuff that I
was sure i deleted. She has found a freeundelete utility, but i can't get
that to find anything myself.

I know how to delete cookies, clear from the start menu and all the disk
clean and defrag. I would like to know if there is anything else i can do to
keep my personal activity personal? Is there anyplace that all activity is
stored?

I need a definitive answer to this question. Nothing left to chance. She
makes my life a living HELL!

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Password-Protect your User Account and let her use a Guest account.

Or start looking for a new GF. Believe me, the time is coming...

 

[tondog64]

:

Password-Protect your User Account and let her use a Guest account.
Or start looking for a new GF. Believe me, the time is coming...

You said a mouthful!

 

[tondog64]

:

Password-Protect your User Account and let her use a Guest account.
Or start looking for a new GF. Believe me, the time is coming...

You said a mouthful! But at this point she won't accept being shut out of my stuff so blatantly. The PC might end up in the garbage bin which would not be good. As for the GF suggestion, that just might happen soon.

 

[peter]

If you do aim to keep the little snoop around for awhile then maybe you
should consider getting her her very own system.....then she has no reason
to be on yours. Worked wonders for me and the wife.
Valentines day is coming up
peter

 

[Malke]

Any computer running any operating system can be accessed by someone
with 1) physical access; 2) time; 3) skill; 4) tools. There are a few
things you can do to make it a bit harder though:

1. Set a password in the BIOS that must be entered before booting the
operating system. Also set the Supervisor password in the BIOS so BIOS
Setup can't be entered without it.

2. From the BIOS, change the boot order to hard drive first.

3. Set strong passwords on all accounts, including the built-in
Administrator account.

4. If you leave your own account logged in, use the Windows Key + L to
lock the computer (and/or set the screensaver/power saving) when you
step away from the computer and require a password to resume.

5. Make other users Limited accounts in XP Home, regular user accounts
in XP Pro.

6. Set user permissions/restrictions:

a. If you have XP Pro, you can set user permissions/restrictions with
Group Policy (Start>Run>gpedit.msc [enter]) but be careful. Using the
Policy Editor can be tricksy. Questions about Group Policy should be
posted in its newsgroup: microsoft.public.windows.group_policy.

b. If you have XP Home, you can use MVP Doug Knox's Security Console or
the MS Steady State. SteadyState also works in XP Pro if you'd rather
not use Group Policy.

http://www.dougknox.com
Steady State -
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx

Please understand that these are technical responses to what is
basically a non-technical problem and there are ways around all of these
precautions. This is a family/interpersonal issue that can't be solved
by technical means.


Malke

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Malke wrote:

Any computer running any operating system can be accessed by someone
with 1) physical access; 2) time; 3) skill; 4) tools. There are a few
things you can do to make it a bit harder though:

[Something tells me the GF isn't that smart, Malke! <eg>]

 

[Malke]

Malke wrote:

Any computer running any operating system can be accessed by someone
with 1) physical access; 2) time; 3) skill; 4) tools. There are a few
things you can do to make it a bit harder though:

[Something tells me the GF isn't that smart, Malke! <eg>]

Or perhaps it is the OP who isn't so smart for having this GF. How
strange the ways of Love and L-u-st! ;-)


Malke