Limiting user accounts
If more than one person has access to your PC, you’ll want to keep each user in check. Paul Townsend walks you through the process.
One PC per family member would be the ideal situation, but the reality is usually one machine that needs to be shared by all. In Windows XP, you have the ability to create user accounts that will give individuals their own passwordprotected login, along with somewhere safe to store their data. A user can also create a personalised view of Windows XP, once they’ve logged in, that’ll remain unique to them. There are two different types of user account that can be created: ‘Computer Administrator’ and ‘Limited’. To ensure that the integrity of your PC is preserved, it’s a good idea to have just one Administrator account while all the others are set as Limited.
Tighten security
User accounts in Windows XP make sharing your PC much easier. With the help of individual logins and passwords, each user can store their own data safely. However, it’s possible to make a slight change to the way users login, and make accounts safer from intrusion. The default login method is via the Welcome screen. It displays each user’s name along with their picture. Login is achieved by clicking one of them and entering the correct password.
An alternative to this is the Classic login screen, which necessitates the input of a user name as well as a password, acting as an additional deterrent to a would-be malicious user. To switch between the two, go to Control Panel -> User Accounts and click ‘Change the way users log on or off’. The only problem with this login method is that the name of the last user to log in is always displayed in the User name field. If you’re using Windows XP Professional then you can overcome this problem with the help of the Local Security Policy tool. Click Start -> Run, type secpol.msc and press [Return]. In Local Policies and settings open Local Policies\Security Options and enable Interactive Logon: Do Not Display Last User Name.
Controlling access
There’s a separate profile folder for each user account on your PC. This folder is created the first time a user logs into their account. A profile stores all the personal configuration information for that individual, including Favorites, cookies and desktop settings. The folder is stored in C: \ Documents and Settings \ USERNAME, but is accessible by other users unless you put a restriction in place. To do this right-click the folder, choose Properties, select the Sharing tab and check the box ‘Make this folder private’.
As the Administrator, it’s possible to set different levels of access to the files and folders stored on your PC. This can be done on per-user basis. In Windows XP Professional, there’s a system in place called Simple File Sharing that enables you to share data with other users, locally or on a network.
However, it’s possible to have more control over permissions for individual users by turning off Simple File Sharing. To do this, open any folder and click Tools -> Folder Options and select the View tab. Under Advanced settings scroll down and uncheck ‘Use simple file sharing (Recommended)’. Once you’ve done this, if there’s a folder you want to control permissions for, then right-click it, choose Properties and select the Sharing tab. Check the box to ‘Share this folder’ then click Permissions. Here you’ll be able to choose exactly what other users can or can’t do with this particular folder. Under ‘Group or user names’ you should then be able to see a list of all the user accounts on your system.
If the account you want to configure isn’t listed, click Add. Under ‘Enter the object names to select’, type in the name of the user account and click Check Names. After the correct account name appears, click OK and return to the Share Permissions tab. By default, a Limited user account will only have Read access to other files on your system. This technique can prove ideal if you’d like to give a user more freedom. Simply select their name from the list and check the box of the corresponding permission level you wish them to have for that folder. For example, you can give them read access and/or the ability to make changes to the folder
Similar permissions can be applied to files as well. Right-click a file, select Properties and choose the Security tab. Again, select the user to whom the permissions are to be applied and check the box to enable access for a particular item. For example, you can apply read-only access, read and execute, or simply Full Control.
If you’re using Windows XP Home Edition, you’ll find that the procedure for limiting user accounts won’t be as straightforward. Right-clicking a file or folder won’t give you access to the options for allowing or denying editing permissions. You can still make the changes but you’ll need to do so in Safe Mode. Log in as the Administrator, then locate the relevant file or folder. Right-click, choose Properties and select the Security tab. Here you’ll be able to determine how much access a user can have to the particular item.
Paul Townsend
