Microsoft Windows XP installations give your initial user accounts administrative access rights. As a computer administrator, you can change system files, install and remove software and modify settings. Computer Administrators can break and fix your computer. That is why we don’t want to run as an administrator all the time.
When we use the computer as an administrator (or an account with administrative privledges) you are more vulnerable to malware and viruses because the payload that malware contains will be able to execute as an administrator on your computer and do whatever it’s programmed to do.
To enhance the security of your computer against viruses and malware, change your own account type to limited, but only if there is another user on the computer with a computer administrator account. The computer cannot be without an administrator. You must use a computer administrator account to change a user’s account type. Your account is probably already an administrator account.
In Windows XP, after you have changed your user account to a Standard account, you will need to log off and back on as an administrator account whenever you want to install/remove/change software and system settings.
To make your Windows XP computer a lot more secure, do the following:
- Open User Accounts - click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
- Click the name of the account you want to change. If there is only one account (your account), Add an account to be your new administrator account and make it an administrator account.
- Click Change the account type on your day to day use user account.
- Click Computer administrator or Limited, depending on the type of account you want, and then click Change Account Type.
Hope you found this article useful. If you have any questions or require assistance with your computer or network in the Los Angeles, Orange County and Inland Empire area, give us a call at (888) 777-WURX.
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