Windows XP Pro: limited user

D

DigitalMP

Gawd
Joined
Jun 27, 2004
Messages
861
I'm reformatting this week, and I want to start from the ground up with a limited user account.

Would this be the second account, aside from the admin? Or do you create other accounts? What priviledges do you give your limited account? (I'm the only one that uses this machine, ever.)

When you work in this environment, do you ever log in under the admin profile for anything? Or is there a way to set up your limited user account efficiently so you can solely use that account?

I've searched externally, but I haven't found anything that details how to sensibly create this account, as it's something I want to do correctly the first time, and not have to recreate accounts.

Thanks.
 
You can do it a couple of ways.

When you create that first user, it will be an admin by default. You could remove the user from the administrator groups and you'll be a normal user.

Or, you could leave it as an admin and create another user account to use for your daily activities. This is what I would do -- create admin_username and username. Then, if you ever need to log on as administrator, you can just use your admin_username account.

The goal would be to try to not use your administrator account at all, and only use admin access if you *NEED* it (install hardware, software, etc). For stuff like that, you should look at the runas command and try to not log in as an administrator if you don't have to.
 
Setting up limited user accounts in XP is easy.

Living with them day-to-day is another story.

i understand the desire though...

Make sure you study up on the "RunAs" command.
 
I'm leaning towards my earlier suspicions that it may be more of an annoyance than I feel like dealing with.

I may stick with sensible browsing, constantly running AV, software firewall, data stored on an external device, and a planned reformat every 12 months.

What would I have trouble doing under a limited user account rather than the admin account, aside from installing software and new devices? I've heard elsewhere that some people couldn't run Nero from a limited account...
 
Another option for browsing: Build yourself a sandbox....

Download VirtualPC 2007 from Microsoft. It's free now...

Set up a WinXP VPC. After you get it created and all updated, make a copy and stash the original away.

Use the copy to do all your web browsing and other internet 'experimenting' :)

If it gets fouled, just toss it in the trash and make another copy from the master.

Oh, and don't forget to install the VPC Extensions (file menu) after you set up the host OS. It adds important features and improves performance markedly.
 
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