Turning off User Accounts

[Guest Taxed Mind]

Using Win XP:

 

Under Control Panel; User Accounts, I have 2 user accounts.

 

"My Name" - Computer Administrator, and

 

"Guest" - Guest account is off.

 

So when I turn on the computer I do not have to sign in and when the

computer hibernates I do, but with only one choice, "My Name". This is good

and the way I want it.

 

However I want to try something on a different user account, can I activate

the "Guest" account and then deactivate it later so that I never have the

choice of logging on to it later. I do not want the option of having two

accounts to chose between after my "experiment"

 

Thanks in advance

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

 

"Taxed Mind" <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:B1959995-078C-4923-B6EE-E1B90B2CECE6@microsoft.com...

> Using Win XP:

>

> Under Control Panel; User Accounts, I have 2 user accounts.

>

> "My Name" - Computer Administrator, and

>

> "Guest" - Guest account is off.

>

> So when I turn on the computer I do not have to sign in and when the

> computer hibernates I do, but with only one choice, "My Name". This is

> good

> and the way I want it.

>

> However I want to try something on a different user account, can I

> activate

> the "Guest" account and then deactivate it later so that I never have the

> choice of logging on to it later. I do not want the option of having two

> accounts to chose between after my "experiment"

>

> Thanks in advance

 

It would be better to create a dedicated "Test" account instead

of using the "Guest" account. To ensure that you do not need

to enter the password for your normal account, check out this

link: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/win_xp_passwords.htm.

[Guest Malke]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

Taxed Mind wrote:

> Using Win XP:

>

> Under Control Panel; User Accounts, I have 2 user accounts.

>

> "My Name" - Computer Administrator, and

>

> "Guest" - Guest account is off.

>

> So when I turn on the computer I do not have to sign in and when the

> computer hibernates I do, but with only one choice, "My Name". This is

> good and the way I want it.

>

> However I want to try something on a different user account, can I

> activate the "Guest" account and then deactivate it later so that I never

> have the

> choice of logging on to it later. I do not want the option of having two

> accounts to chose between after my "experiment"

 

It is better to leave the Guest account disabled for security purposes.

Simply create a new user account - call it Test if you like. When you are

finished playing with it, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet

if you want. Or leave it and set your computer to log on automatically per

the following link. It will not hurt your computer to have more than one

user account.

 

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com

Don't Panic!

[Guest PD43]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

Taxed Mind <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>However I want to try something on a different user account, can I activate

>the "Guest" account and then deactivate it later so that I never have the

>choice of logging on to it later.

 

Yes

[Guest PD43]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

Malke <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>It is better to leave the Guest account disabled for security purposes.

 

Like, is the OP's home going to be busted into the minute the Guest

account is enabled???

[Guest Malke]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

PD43 wrote:

> Malke <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>

>>It is better to leave the Guest account disabled for security purposes.

>

> Like, is the OP's home going to be busted into the minute the Guest

> account is enabled???

 

No, but possibly his computer will be compromised. We have no idea of its

state and I try and give answers based on best practices. You can of course

disagree and do whatever you like. I stand by what I told him - and with

which Pegasus concurs - and that is to leave the Guest account disabled ad

make a Test user account instead. It will give a more accurate picture of

whatever he is testing in any case to use a regular user account instead of

Guest.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com

Don't Panic!

[Guest PD43]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

Malke <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>>>It is better to leave the Guest account disabled for security purposes.

>>

>> Like, is the OP's home going to be busted into the minute the Guest

>> account is enabled???

>

>No, but possibly his computer will be compromised

 

HOW?

[Guest Gordon]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

"PD43" <pauld1943@comcast.net> wrote in message

news:mmbdt3ho97ra7iegr7oi3b9dearqtge7to@4ax.com...

> Malke <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>

>>>>It is better to leave the Guest account disabled for security purposes.

>>>

>>> Like, is the OP's home going to be busted into the minute the Guest

>>> account is enabled???

>>

>>No, but possibly his computer will be compromised

>

> HOW?

 

 

Guest is one of the two built-in accounts which cannot be deleted. The Guest

account provides a known, unprivileged account which can be attacked.

 

see here for more info:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300489

[Guest PD43]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

"Gordon" <gbplinux@gmail.com.invalid> wrote:

>>>> Like, is the OP's home going to be busted into the minute the Guest

>>>> account is enabled???

>>>

>>>No, but possibly his computer will be compromised

>>

>> HOW?

>

>

>Guest is one of the two built-in accounts which cannot be deleted. The Guest

>account provides a known, unprivileged account which can be attacked.

 

The OP wanted to "experiment", which sounded like a short-lived thing

to me. Even if it weren't, if it is a stand alone computer, he is the

only user, and the computer is protected by a firewall if connected to

the Internet there is no problem that I can see. None whatever.

 

Once again, the MVP's knowledge complicates what should be a common

sense answer.

[Guest PD43]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

"Gordon" <gbplinux@gmail.com.invalid> wrote:

>Guest is one of the two built-in accounts which cannot be deleted. The Guest

>account provides a known, unprivileged account which can be attacked.

>

>see here for more info:

>http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300489

>

 

BTW... there is nothing in that article that I didn't know. Also

there is not even the HINT of a note of caution about the use of such

account. It is there for convenience purposes from what I can tell.

[Guest M.I.5¾]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

 

"PD43" <pauld1943@comcast.net> wrote in message

news:th0dt350bvp842gv3k0c6ec6gshmh5ejae@4ax.com...

> Taxed Mind <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>

>>However I want to try something on a different user account, can I

>>activate

>>the "Guest" account and then deactivate it later so that I never have the

>>choice of logging on to it later.

>

> Yes

 

provided what you want to do can be acomplished within the very limited

facilities that the guest account offers.

 

Don't leave the guest enabled longer than you need to as it is a secrity

liability.

[Guest PD43]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

"M.I.5¾" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote:

>Don't leave the guest enabled longer than you need to as it is a secrity

>liability.

 

You're a day late. That has already been alleged by two MVP's and I

answered them with my own thoughts (in opposition).

[Guest Bill Sharpe]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

M.I.5¾ wrote:

> "PD43" <pauld1943@comcast.net> wrote in message

> news:th0dt350bvp842gv3k0c6ec6gshmh5ejae@4ax.com...

>> Taxed Mind <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>>

>>> However I want to try something on a different user account, can I

>>> activate

>>> the "Guest" account and then deactivate it later so that I never have the

>>> choice of logging on to it later.

>> Yes

>

> provided what you want to do can be acomplished within the very limited

> facilities that the guest account offers.

>

> Don't leave the guest enabled longer than you need to as it is a secrity

> liability.

>

>

If the guest account has "very limited facilities" why is it such a

security liability?

 

Bill

[Guest PD43]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

Bill Sharpe <wfsnopam@adelphia.net> wrote:

>> Don't leave the guest enabled longer than you need to as it is a secrity

>> liability.

>>

>If the guest account has "very limited facilities" why is it such a

>security liability?

 

NOBODY who has posted the knee-jerk "security liability/problem" reply

in this thread has answered that question.

 

NOBODY.

 

They can't.

[Guest Bob I]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

 

 

Bill Sharpe wrote:

> M.I.5¾ wrote:

>

>> "PD43" <pauld1943@comcast.net> wrote in message

>> news:th0dt350bvp842gv3k0c6ec6gshmh5ejae@4ax.com...

>>

>>> Taxed Mind <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>>>

>>>> However I want to try something on a different user account, can I

>>>> activate

>>>> the "Guest" account and then deactivate it later so that I never

>>>> have the

>>>> choice of logging on to it later.

>>>

>>> Yes

>>

>>

>> provided what you want to do can be acomplished within the very

>> limited facilities that the guest account offers.

>>

>> Don't leave the guest enabled longer than you need to as it is a

>> secrity liability.

>>

>>

> If the guest account has "very limited facilities" why is it such a

> security liability?

>

> Bill

 

 

I'm guessing an old issue carried forward, see link.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/906574.mspx

[Guest PD43]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

Bob I <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote:

>> If the guest account has "very limited facilities" why is it such a

>> security liability?

>>

>> Bill

>

>I'm guessing an old issue carried forward, see link.

 

Right. It's an OLD issue that's irrelevant if someone is keeping up

with updates.

 

If they're not, they deserve what they get.

[Guest Bob I]

Re: Turning off User Accounts

 

 

 

PD43 wrote:

> Bob I <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote:

>

>

>>>If the guest account has "very limited facilities" why is it such a

>>>security liability?

>>>

>>>Bill

>>

>>I'm guessing an old issue carried forward, see link.

>

>

> Right. It's an OLD issue that's irrelevant if someone is keeping up

> with updates.

>

> If they're not, they deserve what they get.

 

More a case of "urban legend" now I would say.