31. Use the Windows
2000-style secure logon screen
If you'd like
a little more security in your home setup, you may want to consider
eliminating the Welcome screen altogether, as this provides anyone trying to log into
your computer with your username. The solution for this is to restore the secure
logon screen used in Windows 2000, forcing all users to enter both username
and password.
To
enable this: Go to start\control panel\user
accounts\change the way users log on or off. Clear the 'use the welcome
screen' button.
32. Hiding
shared folders with $
If you would like to share a
folder so that users on your network can access it easily, but are worried about
displaying the folder for anyone to browse through, there is an easy way to
render a shared folder invisible but still accessible.
From the shared folder dialog:
(right click on desired folder\sharing and security\). You can hide a shared folder
by simply adding a '$' to the end of the name you give the folder in the
'sharing and security' window. In this way, you can maintain network access to
shared folders, while hiding them from prying eyes.
To browse to a hidden shared
folder from another computer, simply click 'start/run' then type \\(name of the computer the share is
on)\(sharename$) and press enter.
33. Using
advanced file security settings in Windows XP Home
Windows XP is based on the same platform as Windows
2000, and shares that operating system's robust file security options, at least when
using the NTFS file system. Unfortunately this security system, which enables an administrator to decide
exactly which files and programs any given user will have access to, is not
actually implemented by default in Windows XP. This is a concession Microsoft made to avoid confusing
basic users of XP Pro, and to cripple XP Home.
The NTFS file security options can be enabled easily enough
in XP Pro, but are apparently non-existent in the Home version. Fact is, the tools are
there, you just need to look a little bit harder.
To enable NTFS file security in Windows XP Home: First you need to assure that
at least your main hard drive is formatted with the NTFS file system. See tip
#61 for instructions on this. Restart your system. Just after the memory and BIOS
check screen, but before the Windows splash screen comes up, press F8 a few
times.
When the
Windows boot menu appears, select 'safe mode' from the list of options.
Once
Windows has loaded in safe mode, right click the folders and files you would
like to change access to. You will notice that the 'security' tab now exists,
and thus you are allowed to assign or deny access to individual users for each
file, folder and program. Once you are done, restart Windows normally, and your
changes will be enforced.
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