Windows Password Protection

I was going to put this in 'software/apps', but I thought this would be a more appropriate/specific area. Anyways, feel free to move it if it's in the incorrect place.

I'll be going off to school soon and I was just curious if there were any password protection methods for windows because I hardly ever power down my rig.

I know you can set a screensaver password and a password to boot, but are there any more methods to increase security? Is windows boot/screensaver password even reliable?

Also, I keep the bulk of my storage on internal HDDs but I do have a couple external HDDs. Is there anyway I can set a password to access these externals aside from encrypting entire partitions?

The main thing I'm worried about is my computer/internal HDDs/system being password protected. Externals being password protected is just secondary, and not really a big deal.

I'm just kinda' nervous since I'll be having a roommate (I've never had one before) and my computer is probably my most important possession. I don't have these same ordeals at home, but being at school will be an entirely different story.

Windows XP Pro, 32bit.

What OS are you using?

lol I have no idea how my post was above yours.

LOL it happened here as well.
happened to my thread as well.
check this out: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=612242

OCF is getting creepy

can't help much though, but why not put your PC into stand by? if you're out you can stand by it, which powers off the PC in like 2 seconds, then when you're back, you can power it back up in 2 seconds again. (and require a password on wake up)

I would do that but I like to keep stuff running in the background at times (ie: IRC/IM logs, possible large data transfers, possible time consuming encodes, downloads, ect). I have several time consuming tasks amongst other stuff running in the background nearly 24/7 and setting my computer to hibernate isn't always an option.

I know I can set a screensaver password along with a password to boot, but I'm curious how reliable these methods are and if there are any other methods (possibly more secure) that can be used.

That, and you can't really pick when the screensaver password is going to be activated. You can set the screensaver to come on after X amount of time, but you can simply hit a button to activate the password if you're going to leave or you're in a hurry. The only thing you could do is go to settings and set the screensaver to come on in 1 min or something which would be a pain to do every single time.

I've put a shortcut to the screensaver in the quickstart menu next to the start button.
One click and the screensaver starts right up, you just have to be careful not to move the mouse thereafter.
There is a time up to 5 seconds or so, that you can interrupt the screensaver as it starts, when it won't ask for a pass, but thereafter it will.

They're the *.scr files in the system32 folder.

Lock the computer with window key+L any time you leave

Coupled with a decent password, that's as secure as you're going to get with Windows unless you start looking at data encryption. It doesn't sound like that's what you need though since you basically just don't want that roommate of yours dicking around with your computer.

Also, if you use an account other than the administrator account(these days most people do), make sure the admin account also has a sound password. If you lock it as yourself, and have a blank admin password, he/she can still log in with that and kill your locked session.

Thanks, I had no idea that you could lock it simply by pressing the windows key + L. Yeah, I encrypt a small portion of my data, but encrypting entire drives/partitions will just make my media drives slower and imo it's not worth the hassle.

Also I had no idea you could simply make a shortcut of the .scr files, thanks guys.

Also, make sure you have the Administrator account password protected. That will stop someone from going into safe mode and removing your password.

Everyone overlooked the external HDDS

You need to either lock em up when you leave or not use them.

If I can physically touch your machine, I own it. Plain and simple, give me 5 minutes and I own it.

If you arent powering the system off, you need to look at a few other things beyond simple passwords. There is a program that can be run off USB and CD that will allow me to take over your pc and do whatever I want with it without you ever knowing. It totally ignores passwords, and password strength.

Personally you have two options here, lock it down, encrypt it, and then hope you dont have anyone interested in your machine, or win+L anytime you leave and hope for the best.

I don't have any secondary accounts on my machine and the guest account is turned off, just the one 'Admin' Account. My external HDD will be put in a lockbox and it doesn't really have anything aside from anime anyway which is why encrypting entire 1Tb drive is more of a hassle then it's worth.

As for my system I could encrypt my 1.5Tb media drive which just simply contains..media so I don't really see the hassle in encrypting that either. I boot off a 750Gb WD Black (50Gb OS partition, the other ~650Gb reserved for other files/media) and once again encrypting another media partition around 650Gb is a large hassle.

I do have a couple encrypted files (one about 10Gb, the other about 50Gb) where I keep other important/personal stuff other then media, but aside from that what else can you do? There really aren't many options, I mean you can't encrypt your -entire- boot/OS partition and physically locking up my computer isn't an option.

The only thing I see myself able to do is win-L, set a password to boot, and encrypt any data which I wouldn't want anyone to get a hold of, which is why I made this thread... because I was positive other people would also be in a type of university with these same issues.

The roommate would be the only person who would be close enough to do anything which is why I would like to take basic steps to prevent such things. This is mostly paranoia; not because I have anything illegal on my HDD but general paranoia that anyone who has a personal computer (Any type of 'enthusiast' if you will, or anyone who uses a computer to do more then simply browse the web, check email, or get on YT) would feel.

Damekko said:

This is mostly paranoia; not because I have anything illegal on my HDD but general paranoia that anyone who has a personal computer (Any type of 'enthusiast' if you will, or anyone who uses a computer to do more then simply browse the web, check email, or get on YT) would feel.

Click to expand...

No need to justify. I live alone and still lock my computer when I'm not using it. Imo it's a good habit to get into. Tbh though I did start doing that back when I had roommates, and just never stopped.