How do I password protect my Windows XP PC?

5 thoughts on “How do I password protect my Windows XP PC?”

1. Tony RB says:

   September 13, 2010 at 6:18 pm

   Some computer repair shops do not guarantee that they will protect your data from deletion.

   If the computer has serious hardware problems the operating system might have to be reinstalled.

   If the computer has a serious malware infestation, the hard drive has to be fully erased and a fresh, untainted installation is then made of the operating system.

   Regarding your computer setup, the way Windows XP works, any Administrator account can access any file or folder created by any other Administrator account or any user account.

   Since one of your Administrator accounts did not have a password on it, it was trivial for them to go into any folder or file on your computer and take a peek.

   From your description, I am thinking they removed the password from your password-protected log-in, while using the no-password Administrator account.

   They can also boot the computer in Safe Mode and from there examine any file or folder.

   To boot the computer in Safe Mode, turn it on and hold down the F8 key until a menu appears on the screen, and select Safe Mode with the arrow keys and press Enter.

   Safe Mode is the only way for people using Windows XP Home to access the Security tab in Properties, where file and folder permissions can be changed.

   In the future, to securely protect data from peeking service technicians, use a program like "TrueCrypt" (it is free).

   Wikipedia article about TrueCrypt:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrueCrypt

   TonyRB
   Saturday, December 12, 2009

2. Dalek Draco says:

   September 13, 2010 at 6:18 pm

   Easily done lol. I’ll mention it here but don’t go telling everyone because security flaws should be fixed not spread around :P.

   You can follow along if you want to show how easy it is.

   1. Shutdown the PC.
   2. Reboot, tap f8 on boot.
   3. Enter safe mode as the admin account (will not require a password by default)
   4. Go to control panel, user accounts, and select the account that is password protected.
   5. Select "remove password" (you will not need to know the password).
   6. Reboot into normal mode and voilà’ account access without knowing any passwords.

   Best thing to do to protect yourself….run an AV scan to make sure they haven’t put anything on your PC. Then put a password on the default admin account.

3. Ruan942 says:

   September 13, 2010 at 6:18 pm

   They must have put your hard drive in another PC and accessed it. Only thing I can think of.
   edit: Oh yes, the time was set back to 2002? That was when XP was first made. My PC does that when the power is unplugged for a few mins. XP Professional sets back to 2005.
   Next time, go with a more trustworthy computer service.

   Start > Control panel > User Accounts > set password.
   edit 2:
   You can investigate the event logs –
   http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427

   How to View Event Logs
   To open Event Viewer, follow these steps:

   1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance, then click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management. Or, open the MMC containing the Event Viewer snap-in.
   2. In the console tree, click Event Viewer.

   The Application, Security, and System logs are displayed in the Event Viewer window.

   PS – I also had to take my PCs in for repairs and the motherboards failed – I had enough time to watch them repair it. You should also try watching – it gives you some experience in what they do and it ensures you that your data won’t be cracked.

4. J4YD3N says:

   September 13, 2010 at 6:18 pm

   im not sure how they would have gotten in without the password but i can tell you how to set one.

   what you do is click start>control panel>user accounts then select what account you want a password for then click set account password from then on you can follow the on screen instrustions. 🙂

   hope i helped

5. Jesus says:

   September 13, 2010 at 6:18 pm

   http://blog.resetwindowspassword.com/?p=72 this will be perfect for you!

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