Tag: security_options

Custom Logon Message for XP and Vista

August 10, 2007 by Jason

If your PC is likely to be used or interfered with by others, and you want them to keep their sticky paws off it, here’s a way to create a special message that will appear when anyone other than you tries to logon.

In Vista go Click Start, All Programs, Administrative Tools and Local Security Policy. XP users should go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools and Local Security Policy. Read More»

Disable User Account Control (UAC) only for Administrators

February 20, 2007 by Jason

I’m sure you are well aware now of the advantages and disadvantages of UAC. It is great for non-admin users because it protects their computer from themselves. For advanced users, it can be a much different story causing many annoying authorization pop-ups. This is most common when you are doing a lot of activities that require admin rights such as installing applications and configuring Windows Vista after a fresh install. There is one practical solution to this issue that will help you with the UAC pop-ups if they annoy you and still benefit from the security of UAC.

This can be achieved by adjusting the local security policy to essentially disable UAC for administrators while leaving it enabled for low rights users. When you are using your PC for normal day-to-day use, log in with your low rights account. If you need to install a bunch of applications and make major system configuration changes then log in with your admin account. With fast user switching in Windows Vista you can easily switch between your accounts with little effort. Read More»

User Account Protection for vista

February 13, 2007 by Jason

It can be used to prevent a beginner computer user from making changes to their computer by restricting them from accessing or even saving any changes to critical areas. UAP is also helpful against Spyware and other malicious software because it will require the user to consent to the action, before any system changes are made.

UAP is a good feature but sometimes it is necessary to tweak it a little so that it is less annoying for more experienced users. For example, an advanced user may be overwhelmed by the number of pop up authorization they receive. By tweaking the settings they can reduce the number of those they see as well as completely disable UAP. Although I do not recommend you completely disable UAP, you can fine tune it to be easier to get along with.
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