Issues of Relevance in Windows XP

As time goes by, more and more Access database users are going to consider or will upgrade to Windows XP operating systems. To assist your important decision, I have compiled a checklist of how to set up a secure Windows XP computer plus a list of the differences between Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

Setting up a Secure Windows XP Computer

When you purchase or upgrade a computer to Windows XP operating system, the good news is that the operating system generally offers solid protection. The bad news is that you will probably have to set it up first, because it comes with all the security features turned off. Here are some of the things that you will need to do to secure the Windows XP computer:

• You need to add passwords to secure that the Windows users accounts as the accounts that you add during the installation all come without any passwords. For a secure computer, all accounts should have passwords. Remember to write down the administrator's password or use the password reminder correctly.

• If you are setting up accounts for more than one user account, you should consider using the limited accounts for all but the administrator of the computer.

• If you are sharing your computer with other local users, it is important that you ensure that you use an NTFS volume. The alternative, FAT, is far less secure because all the personal profiles, Windows, and program folders are unsecured for anyone using the computer.

• You should use the firewall that comes as standard with Windows XP. If you can, you should upgrade to products that have more robust firewalls, such as Norton or McAfee or, even better, the product most lauded at the time I wrote this book, ZoneAlarm.

• Ensure that you have antivirus software installed and that it is continually up to date with the latest virus definition files.

Therefore, if you are working on a Windows XP machine where security is obviously a little lax, a morning's work will have you plugging a big hole in your security. If a system administrator manages your computer, you should discuss how to secure your XP computer because your organization may have a different way of doing things.

Comparing XP Operating Systems

If you are developing or using Access databases, which of the two Windows XP operating systems is the best? To answer that question, you first need to consider these situations:

• If you are using the Windows Server and you need to connect to a domain, you must have Windows XP Professional.

• If you are buying a new computer, Microsoft tends to offer much better prices for Windows XP Professional on a new computer. Microsoft also tends to offer quite steep prices to upgrade from Windows XP Home to Windows XP Professional, so your procrastination will cost you money.

• If you are a developer and just happen to have two or three machines, it is always a good idea to have different machines in different configurations. That way, you can understand the client's problems better when they ask you a question or detail a bug.

Now, before we look at the differences between the two operating systems, what do they both have in common that will protect your databases?

• Personalized logon.

• Fast user switching.

• Personal privacy of files, as long as NTFS is used.

• Internet connection firewall.

• Simple sharing through a shared documents folder.

• Network shares.

What is there in Windows XP Professional that might be worth the extra money and the bigger slice of your disk space and computer resources? Here is the list of reasons, and if you want to find out more about these topics, have a look in the "Further Reading" section at the end of the chapter.

• Corporate security: Windows server domain logons .

• Blank password restrictions.

• Folder- and file-level permissions (access control).

• Encrypting file systems ”something to consider for laptop systems.

• Certificate services.

• Credential management for Internet passwords.

• Internet connection sharing.

• Software restriction policies.

• Internet protocol security.

• Smart card support.

Of course, if you are running Windows 2000 Professional, you already are on a winner, because Windows 2000 Professional has similar security to Windows XP Professional.