Your Toxic Family
While it may be great having your children and grand-children visit, their presence around your computer is worse than an infestation of cockroaches. “I just want to check my mail” should be a trumpet blast to pull up the drawbridge.
Where do viruses, spyware, and other PC diseases come from? From mail, from signing up for services. By letting your family log onto your computer, you have just left the keys to the Lamborghini on the kitchen table.
There are three items one must set. First, your own account must have a password. Second, your screensaver should be set for ten minutes – or less. Yes, it may become a nuisance, but it is far worse than trying to reset your PC to a “good” state after a relative has had his/her fingers on it. Third, [in XP] go to Control Panel>User Accounts, and turn on Guest account (if it is not already on). [See screen below]
Whenever you leave your computer for any length of time, be sure to hit Windows logo+L … yes, that little “flag” thingy near the space bar (you may have two of them) AND the letter “L” at the same time. Try it and you will see it jumps to the sign-in window, with your account and Guest. Guest does not need a password – only yours!
There is so little one can do from the Guest account, that you are about as protected as you can be, without hiding your PC. You are automatically given Administrator privileges, which allows you to do anything/everything; would you want someone else to have that access?
Not only will you be preventing viruses and malware, but also all re-settings for Mail, Office templates, Desktop – all the functions you use daily. Nothing worse than opening Mail and finding your mailbox folders are “gone” or there is no toolbar at the top to open or send mail.
Yes you may love them to PCs, but tell them to act like Guests.
Archie specializes in tutoring and training of seniors in PC security, Windows, Internet, and Microsoft Office. He holds the CompTIA A+ certification and is often featured speaker at Goodwin House in Alexandria; he can be emailed at ama3@tfci-us.com
Where do viruses, spyware, and other PC diseases come from? From mail, from signing up for services. By letting your family log onto your computer, you have just left the keys to the Lamborghini on the kitchen table.
There are three items one must set. First, your own account must have a password. Second, your screensaver should be set for ten minutes – or less. Yes, it may become a nuisance, but it is far worse than trying to reset your PC to a “good” state after a relative has had his/her fingers on it. Third, [in XP] go to Control Panel>User Accounts, and turn on Guest account (if it is not already on). [See screen below]
Whenever you leave your computer for any length of time, be sure to hit Windows logo+L … yes, that little “flag” thingy near the space bar (you may have two of them) AND the letter “L” at the same time. Try it and you will see it jumps to the sign-in window, with your account and Guest. Guest does not need a password – only yours!
There is so little one can do from the Guest account, that you are about as protected as you can be, without hiding your PC. You are automatically given Administrator privileges, which allows you to do anything/everything; would you want someone else to have that access?
Not only will you be preventing viruses and malware, but also all re-settings for Mail, Office templates, Desktop – all the functions you use daily. Nothing worse than opening Mail and finding your mailbox folders are “gone” or there is no toolbar at the top to open or send mail.
Yes you may love them to PCs, but tell them to act like Guests.
Archie specializes in tutoring and training of seniors in PC security, Windows, Internet, and Microsoft Office. He holds the CompTIA A+ certification and is often featured speaker at Goodwin House in Alexandria; he can be emailed at ama3@tfci-us.com
Labels: accounts, administrator, family, guest, Viruses
posted by Archie at
6/19/2008 12:38:00 PM
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