Windows XP Home Security

[TheGreySpectre]

I know many of you already know of this I thought I would just give a reminder however...

Windows XP home does still have an Administrator account. The account can be accessed when logging on to safe mode. However the account also starts with no password. Hence anyone with access to your computer can boot up your c omputer in safe mode and create themselves an adminstrator account that they can then log onto and mess around with in normal windows. so just a reminder, if you have XP Home make sure you log onto safe mode and give the administrator account a password.

[ErikD]

Actually if I recall correctly all you need to do is hit Ctrl-Alt-Del twice at the welcome screen to bring up a domain style login box. Then just type in Administrator.

Also it depends on who did the install. If you did it yourself then Windows gives the option of putting a passowrd on the account. Same with Pro actually. It is just when you buy an OEM computer they don't tell you about the account and don't put a passowrd on it.

[AngelfireUk83]

I thought when you installed XP it gives you the chance to name your PC for your network then provide a password for the administrator account. Someone asked me the other day if you can delete that account I said I don't think you can as it's to fix problems in safe mode.

[ErikD]

I thought when you installed XP it gives you the chance to name your PC for your network then provide a password for the administrator account. Someone asked me the other day if you can delete that account I said I don't think you can as it's to fix problems in safe mode.

Yes, they key word is when YOU install Windows. If it comes preinstalled on a system it is not given a password.

The built in Administrator account can't be deleted, but can be disabled. For all intensive purposes it is basically the same thing. You will not be able to gain access to the system if the account is disabled.

[TheGreySpectre]

windows XP home als does not give you the option of putting a password on the "administrator", even when you install it yourself, infact to me it seems that in windows xp home edition they actually try and hide the administrator account. and I installed it just last week. I also am not taling about the accounts with administrator access I am talking about the "administrator" account.

[redduc900]

If you have XP Home make sure you log onto safe mode and give the administrator account a password.
Good advice. Another option to booting to Safe Mode to modify the Admin account password, is to change it from within normal Windows... Start | Run | Type cmd, and click OK | At the Command Prompt, type:

NET USER Administrator <desired password>

... this works both in Home and Pro.

[ErikD]

I believe that Run... control userpasswords2 will also work on Home edition to change accounts without needing to resort to safe mode.

[Enablingwolf]

I thought the reasoning behind not having a password was part. No password, no way to hack the password. I don't share this machine with others who will alter the machine in the admin area. So I really don't concern myself with protecting that account.

If I am wrong in this reasoning, then I need to protect the Administrator account. Since I run the machine in power user mode(XPHome 'named' admin account) most the time anyways.

[ErikD]

To each his own, but generally running with administrative privaliges all the time is thought of as a bad idea. This way if a virus or other nasty code does get to your PC it has access to everything, including important system files. If you run as a limited account it can destroy data, but not harm the OS much at all. So it isn't just a matter of trusting the other people who might have physical access to the PC.

Also what if you get a trojan as an administartor account? It will be able to send back everything on that PC, because Administrator has access to all files. Generally speaking locking down administrative accounts is more a measure to protect from outside attacks, unless you get into the realm of enterprise computing.

[FeuerFrei]

Also check others "stealth" accounts, like their support crap

Support_386 i think