remove admin account on xp

dragona

Need help -have posted on Security, but nobody there!

For reasons I wont go into now, I have banned son from computer.My user account with admin privileges has a password,(not guessed or cracked yet)and so has the default admin account(not visible on welcome screen)
Obviously on the odd occasion when I have not logged off,or somehow anyway, he has managed to change the main admin account password(without knowing the original password, it can be done)and therefore still has access to the computer.
Is there anyway of removing the default admin account? Or do I have to hide mouse and keyboard every time I move away from the screen?

The Muppet

dragona wrote:

Need help -have posted on Security, but nobody there!

Just read your post on Security . I would set a system password in the bios if I were you {my lout would bypass that} so its effectiveness would depend your sons technical ability.

dragona

Did that on previous computer- wouldn't even boot but have been into bios and there does not seem to an option for a password protection

Gaz25

I found this website very helpful before:


http://www.onecomputerguy.com/index.html

The Muppet

Boot into safe mode and see if there is an account that is not password protected .

(To boot into safe mode hold down the f8 key when the machine is booting and select safe mode.)

BTW I would be surprised if there is not an option to set a system password on your pc. What make and model is it?

dragona

The Muppet wrote:

Boot into safe mode and see if there is an account that is not password protected .

(To boot into safe mode hold down the f8 key when the machine is booting and select safe mode.)

BTW I would be surprised if there is not an option to set a system password on your pc. What make and model is it?

Have checked all accounts-only mine and default admin one.

Cant give you make and model as I built it myself:D But have double checked and cant find any option for system password.

Capt'n Midnight

What Motherboard or What brand is the BIOS ? ( Award / phoenix etc. ) ?
If it's an early firmware then flash it to the latest ( very unlikely)
NB - he could still remove the battery to reset BIOS.

Create a guest account, rename the administrator account to something stupid, and rename the guest account to administrator. I'm not sure if the disk that resets the admin password also resets the admin name too.

Disable the FDD / USB / CD as boot devices so he can't bypass windows - this would be done in the BIOS or by disconnecting the cable inside the PC.

Install canary or other keyboard logger.

testicle

1. remove floppy, cd & usb devices from boot sequence
2. password protect the bios to stop son editing it.

This will stop him changing the admin password.

Capt'n Midnight

dragona wrote:

have been into bios and there does not seem to an option for a password protection

testicle wrote:

2. password protect the bios to stop son editing it.

testicle did you read the posts about trying to solve the problem of no password option in the bios ? :v:

Cryos

dragona wrote:

Need help -have posted on Security, but nobody there!

For reasons I wont go into now, I have banned son from computer.My user account with admin privileges has a password,(not guessed or cracked yet)and so has the default admin account(not visible on welcome screen)
Obviously on the odd occasion when I have not logged off,or somehow anyway, he has managed to change the main admin account password(without knowing the original password, it can be done)and therefore still has access to the computer.
Is there anyway of removing the default admin account? Or do I have to hide mouse and keyboard every time I move away from the screen?

Rename the admin account (i.e administrator > 13374dm1n$ ) or something that only you would know

seamus

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;281140&sd=tech

Look at the second bit for Denying access in Windows 2000. If he knows how to change the password, then he'll know how to re-enable the account, but he may not know much about local group policy.

Get into the habit of locking the machine when you leave it. Windows Key + L is a shortcut for this.

To generally irritate him and make it difficult to use the Admin account, you can set Deny -> Full Control permissions on the entire filesystem for the Administrator account (don't set it for the Administrators group for God's sake )

Capt'n Midnight

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

Create a guest account, rename the administrator account to something stupid, and rename the guest account to administrator.

Blitz wrote:

Rename the admin account (i.e administrator > 13374dm1n$ ) or something that only you would know

Is there an echo in this thread or something ? :v:

In the old days pre-pentium you could simply use a key to lock the keyboard. Idiot proof and on almost all clone PC's. But progress means something that worked has been declared obsolete without a workable replacement.

Does the M/B have a key lock jumper ??? - you might be able to get a lockable on/off switch from radionics or mapllin or peats - just need to put a hole in the case - also buy a pad lock for the case so it can't be opened for the purposes of jumpering or battery reseeting.

expensive - you could get a power socket with a key lock - so no power without the key. But an extension cable would bypass.

timeout

Going on Capt'n Midnight ideas you could get a case with one of those front removable HD racks and simply yank the HD out whenever you're not using it

Capt'n Midnight

timeout wrote:

Going on Capt'n Midnight ideas you could get a case with one of those front removable HD racks and simply yank the HD out whenever you're not using it

http://www.marxcomputers.ie/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=HD_access&cart_id=
Mobile Rack IDE €15
Mobile Rack SATA €25

the ones they used to do had keys

which brings back to the concept of - if someone has physical access to your windows machine then they have complete control

PiE

Give your son a clip 'round the ears?

dragona

PiE wrote:

Give your son a clip 'round the ears?

done,and done:D
still working on the computer part!

bungeecork

Hmmm. Don't make it into a 'who's smarter than who' game - if I was a kid that would just push me on and on until I defeated you. Just tell him he's not to use your PC. Ask him to respect you as his father. If he dumps on you and uses your PC tell him he's disrespecting you and disipline him in another way, unconnected with the PC. Maybe ban Christmas, mmuuuggghhhaaaa (evil laugh!!)

Captain Trips

dragona wrote:

Need help -have posted on Security, but nobody there!

For reasons I wont go into now, I have banned son from computer.My user account with admin privileges has a password,(not guessed or cracked yet)and so has the default admin account(not visible on welcome screen)
Obviously on the odd occasion when I have not logged off,or somehow anyway, he has managed to change the main admin account password(without knowing the original password, it can be done)and therefore still has access to the computer.
Is there anyway of removing the default admin account? Or do I have to hide mouse and keyboard every time I move away from the screen?

As far as I remember, it is possible to log in to an XP installation if you use the XP CD. If he seems to be able to keep doing it, regardless of what you do with the accounts, he isobviously skipping past that whole bit entirely. This is likely IMHO how he is changing the Admin account as it is the one the Install CD uses to setup.

A BIOS password is the best, but that can also be skipped on many motherboards (CMOS clock).

If someone has physical access to a computer, it's very hard to really secure it if the person knows what they are doing, which apparently he does at a basic level.

If it's a question of internet access, get a proper router and set up some priveleges on it: you get the router to require login if wanting to go online, and it would take quite a bit more knowledge to hax0r telnet into a router. He obviously can access windows without problems, and there's little you can do about that (any CD with XP will work, I think).