"Owner" Log in

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Guest

I noticed that my user name is "Owner" and am wondering if I should use some
other login handle. I'm the only user on my MCE 2005 and I read that it
could make my pc more prone to virus attacks. True? If it makes no
difference, I'm okay with leaving it as is. If not, how do I change it and
still transfer all my files to my new handle?

Thanks in advance.
 
My boss insists on creating Limited User accounts to prevent spyware and
viruses. Well, if that were true, I wouldn't have spent 4 months cleaning up
all the PCs in one of our offices. The Owner account is the second
administrator account in the machine. Administrator is also in there but you
can only see it in Safe Mode.

I can't see any benefit to creating a Limited User account if you are the
only one using the machine. The Limited User account comes in handy to
prevent children and novice users from installing programs or gaining access
to things they should be messing with.

If you do create another user, you can find your old documents, favorites,
desktop shortcuts, etc. in the C:\Documents and Settings\Owner folder. Once
you login as the new user (say Brent), you can copy from the folders in Owner
to the folders in Brent.
 
Thanks for the info, Big Guy. I think I'll just hold what I have....just
wanted to make sure.
 
uggabugga said:
My boss insists on creating Limited User accounts to prevent spyware and
viruses. Well, if that were true, I wouldn't have spent 4 months cleaning up
all the PCs in one of our offices.
Click to expand...


Actually, if those users had been operating as administrators, you'd
have had to spend a lot longer cleaning up those PCs. The infested PCs
would almost certainly have required a format and clean installation.
While using a computer with limited privileges isn't the cure-all that
the uninformed claim it to be, any experienced IT professional will
verify that it definitely reduces that amount of damage and depth of
penetration by the malware.

The Owner account is the second
administrator account in the machine.
Click to expand...


Which is a very good reason for only the most experienced and
knowledgeable of computer users to use it.

Administrator is also in there but you
can only see it in Safe Mode.
Click to expand...


Which tells me that your experience is limited to WinXP Home, so you've
no first hand knowledge of true network/computer security practices.
Are you sure you should be offering advice on this matter?

I can't see any benefit to creating a Limited User account if you are the
only one using the machine. The Limited User account comes in handy to
prevent children and novice users from installing programs or gaining access
to things they should be messing with.
Click to expand...


The second sentence above directly contradicts the first. Most people
*are* novice users, when it comes to properly securing a computer.





--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
brentromero said:
I noticed that my user name is "Owner" and am wondering if I should use some
other login handle. I'm the only user on my MCE 2005 and I read that it
could make my pc more prone to virus attacks. True?
Click to expand...


More prone to viruses? Not specifically. But you will be much more
susceptible to other malware, particularly adware and spyware. While
using a computer with limited privileges isn't the cure-all, silver
bullet that some claim it to be, any experienced IT professional will
verify that doing so definitely reduces that amount of damage and depth
of penetration by the malware. If you get infected/infested while
running as an administrator, the odds are much greater that any malware
will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove with formating
the hard drive and starting anew. The malware will have the same
privileges to all of the files on your hard drive that you do.

If it makes no
difference, I'm okay with leaving it as is.
Click to expand...


Unless you're an knowledgeable and experienced in computer security, it
really isn't very wise for you to do your day-to-day computing using an
account with administrative privileges. Even then, you'll need to take
strong security precautions, in the forms of good anti-virus software, a
good firewall, and frequent malware scans.


If not, how do I change it and
still transfer all my files to my new handle?
Click to expand...


A wiser course of action would be to create another, limited user
account for your daily use and copy desired the files and settings from
the Owner account to this newly created user profile.

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
It might not make any sense but 100% of the PCs I mentioned with the Limited
accounts had to be reformatted while it was only a few with the Admin
accounts. Machines with the limited accounts had more malware than I've ever
seen before or since. I realize that may be coincedence.
 
Any difference between the types of users? Regardless of whether the user is
a local admin or not, the computers we find the most malware on (I work in a
university IT department) are those of the less--shall we say--computer savvy
users. Those few who can be trusted to logon using an administrator account
and not hose the system seem to also be able to avoid downloading and
installing every toolbar/cursor/file sharing utility/whatever known to
mankind.
 
It was 50/50 on the users. The accounts will not let the users purposely
install anything. I had to log in as administrator to change anything. Every
toolbar and garbage came in on its own.
 
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