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DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A
April 26, 2009
Q.
My grandson comes to visit often and I want
to allow him to use my computer to access
the Internet, but not the rest of my
computer. Can this be easily done?
A.
Microsoft has made it possible to do this
but few people ever know about it. When
Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 is installed,
there is a "Guest" account created but it is
turned off by default. This guest account is
created with special guest privileges which
are even more limited and restrictive than
the normal limited or standard accounts.
NOTE: Although the Guest account does not
require a password, all other accounts on
the computer should have one. If the other
accounts do not have a password, there is
nothing to stop the guest from accessing one
of them effectively negating its purpose.
Pretty
much without exceptions, a person accessing
a computer using the guest account will not
be able to access or make changes to any
existing files on the computer. They will
have near unlimited access to the Internet
but will not be able to download or install
anything without having an administrator
grant permission on a case by case basis.
Likewise,
the guest will be able to install games and
other software but these installations will
require approval from an administrator
before they will be allowed. These too
administered
on a
case by case basis.
Fortunately, this Guest account can be
turned on or off and configured very easily
by any user with Administrator privileges.
In XP, click Start and then Control Panel.
Then click on User Accounts. If the category mode
is used, you will have to click on User
Accounts again. Click the Guest icon,
and click "Turn on Guest account" and close
the dialogs.
In Vista,
click the Start orb, Control Panel, User
accounts, Manage another account, accept the
UAC, click the Guest icon and then click the
"Turn On" button. Turning the Guest account
off is done this same way.
This new
account can be accessed by clicking Start,
Log off then Change User. There will
also be a guest icon on the welcome screen
during the normal boot-up allowing one to
sign on as a guest.
The first
time you activate this guest account it will
take a few minutes for it to be created, and
set up. Subsequent openings even if it has
been turned off and back on will be much
quicker and it will retain all your
configuration. Some configuration of the
desktop like changing the wallpaper and
adding Icons is allowed.
There
will probably not be an Internet Explorer
icon on the Guest desktop but one can be
added easily if desired. Click Start and
click on the Internet Explorer icon at the
top left and drag it to the desktop. |
