Topic: PC Protection

[mafunga]

How best can I protect my PC that is in the form of locking it. I use an open office where everyone has access to my PC, so what i need to do is to lock my profile. If you know how best I can do it please help me.

[Simon]

Hi Mafunga, and welcome to PC Pals.

Can you tell us what operating system you are using?  If you have XP, it may be as simple as creating passwords for different user profiles.

[DJ]

If its NT it's usually a case of CTRL + ALT + DEL and 'lock workstation'.

Of course if your IT people haven't sorted log on ID's and Passwords it's going to be difficult to lock the PC in the first place  

DJ1UK

[Robotochan]

You can do what DJ1UK said with 2000 too

[bat69]

Unfortunately if you have Win 98 you will need some third party software as the security on that is pretty useless.

[lobo]

@mafunga
You can set a password protected screen saver that will not allow other users to access the PC when you are away from the PC, (they can always switch of the powere and reboot but then they would not have access to the work you were doing Right on the screen area, select properties from the dropdown menu and then select screen saver, select a screensaver and click on settings and set a password for the screen saver, set time to 1min and if you leave the PC for more than 1 min the screen saver becomes active and can only be canceled by entering your password

Brian
 

[Simon]

That's a good tip, Brian.  I used to have a screen saver control that sat in the system tray, so you could just click it to immediately activate your screensaver, or right click it for other options, such as turning it off when defragging.  Somehow I lost it when I built my new PC, and I don't even know what it was called now.  Does anyone know of a similar prog?  Preferably free.  

[lobo]

From my own personal store my friend, its a sharware file but no time limit on it

https://www.trustclip.com/2MDM8H075G06TeFOVO23GUOQ19K

Brian

[chorleydave]

To add a screensaver to the Quicklaunch Toolbar:

Start > Find > *.scr

Right-click one and choose Copy

Right-click Desktop and choose Paste

Drag to Quicklaunch Toolbar

[Simon]

I'll try that - thanks Brian!

Dave, thanks mate, but that wouldn't really achieve what I was looking for, although it's a nice idea if you just want a quick launch for your screensaver.  The program I had before used to control them all, and had other functions as well.  

[chorleydave]

I know the type of Program, Simon, but I haven't come across anything like that for a long time.  I used to have one, but that was in the Windows point something or other For Workgroups days.  I still have some old software on disk from those days, so I'll have a look tomorrow and see if I still have it.  Don't know if it would work with a later OS though.

[lobo]

@chorleydave That program of mine just sits in the toolbar click on it enter a password and it activates the screen server and wont close until you re-enter the pass, you can set a different password every tome

Brian

[chorleydave]

That sounds like a good program, Brian.   I've also found this one on CNET:

http://download.com.com/3000-2409-10148886.html?tag=lst-0-3

[Simon]

That's quite a good one Dave.  I think I might give that one a try.  

Brian, thanks also for yours, although I wasn't quite expecting it to do what it did, and it scared me half to death, as I hadn't put a password in!  After a small moment of sheer panic, I just left it blank and clicked Enter and all was well.  

[lobo]

Nothing like a bit of panic to make the day go faster

Brian