Securing a Computer

User Groups

For a shared or workgroup computer, there are two main types of user accounts: computer administrator and limited. For a domain network computer, different account types (administrator, standard user, restricted user) provide similar permissions as the ones on a shared or workgroup computer.

The computer administrator account is for the person who needs to make changes to anything on the computer as well as manage user accounts. A computer administrator account can install programs and hardware, make system-wide changes, access and read all non private files, create and delete user accounts, change other people's accounts, change your own account name and type, change your own picture, and create, change, or remove your own password.

The limited account is for the person who needs to manage personal files and run programs. The limited account cannot install software or hardware or change most computer settings. If you have guests who want to use your computer, you can set up a guest account.

The guest account doesn't have a password for easy access and contains more restrictions than the limited account. The guest account is disabled by default and needs to be turned on.

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File Systems

Another way to protect the files on your computer is to use the built-in security provided by the NTFS file system. The NTFS file system is available for Windows NT-based computers, which doesn't include Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me. You can select your hard disk in My Computer and display Details on the task pane to determine whether your computer uses the NTFS file system.

The NTFS file system provides additional security for your files and folders. You can make a folder private, use the advanced Encrypting File System (EFS) to protect sensitive data files on your computer. If someone tries to gain access to encrypted files or a folder on your computer, a unique file encryption key prevents that person from viewing it.

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Show Me Microsoft Windows XP
Show Me Microsoft Windows XP (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0789733366
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 391

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