locking my win xp pro machine when away

silverside

hi
my work pc automatically locks itself after a timeout. To be precise, I am still logged in and alll my programs remain running, but the screen goes empty except for a dialog box, and I have enter my xp password again to re-access my pc.

I want to do the same thing on my home pc in case I want to leave it running while I am away. For example, if a burglar broke in, I wouldn't want him to have access to my email or programs. I don't want to set up a guest account because I don't want to have to reinstall various software.

How can I do this?

Thanks.

silverside

doh! it's as easy as enabling the screensaver

silverside

now how can I kick off the screensaver without waiting for it to timeout?

Creamy Goodness

or you could just hit windows key + L whenever you go away from the computer

silverside

yeah cheers, just found that out myself as well.

Tivoli

silverside wrote:

I want to do the same thing on my home pc in case I want to leave it running while I am away. For example, if a burglar broke in, I wouldn't want him to have access to my email or programs.

its very easy to remove the admin password on a win2k or xp machine, if you want mail to be secure get a gmail account

silverside wrote:

I don't want to set up a guest account because I don't want to have to reinstall various software.

you don't have to reinstall programs for them to work on a different account

silverside

yeah not really worried about a burglar so much as casual people walking through the house. There is nothing really that critical in my email.

is it really that easy to remove the admin password?

As I understand it programs are either installed for 'everybody' or under a specific user account. Is it easy to give program-by-program access to e.g. the guest user if I have installed something under my own account? Does it involve setting up user profiles?

I'm not really that bothered TBH, just interested. I guess this sort of thing is what you learn on a Windows sys admin course - or did you just pick it up as you go along?

Gone West

ive had to do it for a couple of people. they were away for a while and forgot their passwords, yousee. takes all of 10 minutes

qwertz

Somebody with sufficient skill will always be able to break into any computer, expecially when you have physical access. If I was a burglar I would just rip out the hard disk. Quickly enough removed from the computer, small enough to pocket it. Then you just hook it up to another computer as a slave drive and enjoy full file access unless it`s decrypted. But even that is easily bypassed.

silverside wrote:

hi
my work pc automatically locks itself after a timeout. To be precise, I am still logged in and alll my programs remain running, but the screen goes empty except for a dialog box, and I have enter my xp password again to re-access my pc.

I want to do the same thing on my home pc in case I want to leave it running while I am away. For example, if a burglar broke in, I wouldn't want him to have access to my email or programs. I don't want to set up a guest account because I don't want to have to reinstall various software.

How can I do this?

Thanks.

silverside

yeah i guess you are right. To guard against casual nosing around i guess the windows+L trick will do me.

ranDom_tAsk

qwertz wrote:

Somebody with sufficient skill will always be able to break into any computer, expecially when you have physical access. If I was a burglar I would just rip out the hard disk. Quickly enough removed from the computer, small enough to pocket it. Then you just hook it up to another computer as a slave drive and enjoy full file access unless it`s decrypted. But even that is easily bypassed.

i have C4 all over my pc tower, so that's not posible with my pc