Protecting my computer

[doobie]

ok ive just about had it with other people using my computer and restarting it. I keep telling them im gonna lose data or any incoming IM's.. so they should please not restart it.. yet they keep doing it.. for some reason i cannot make a password for the pc so that as soon as one restarts it, they'll have to enter a password to get into windows..

i have windows xp and i know it has the user profiles and all but i want to make a password so you wont even get to that screen.. it's easy to hack past that profile screen.. plus if the computer itself idles out, one would have to enter the password just to getback in anyways.. so i don't want to protect it with the log on screen.. but rather with the boot up screen.

i already went thru the BIOS system upon the computer startup but the passwords i set there are only to get into the BIOS screen itself, not windows xp..

back when my aunt had a dell like 6 or 7 yrs ago i set it up so it asks for a password as soon as you press the "on" button on the computer.. now i can't do it here.. is there something i need to download or what?

[doobie]

no ideas?   

[texasboy]

Hi doobie,
Not an expert but would any of these links point you for info.
http://www.pwcrack.com/bios.shtml
http://www.wikihow.com/Break-Into-a-Password-Protected-Windows-XP
http://www.brainfuel.tv/boot-up-windows-before-you-even-log-in/
You might be able to hit some of the side links for more help.
cheers

[chip!]

wait... why would you want to password protect it upon startup of your computer if you really just dont want them to restart the computer? I mean, if they restart it, and then they cant turn it back on, you're still going to be losing your IMs, etc..


why not just put a password on your screen saver? then when your computer isn't being used for X minutes, your computer will be locked..  that combined with the standard Windows user password upon startup of WinXP is more than capable of keeping 99.9% of people off your computer. Also, if you setup a password for your Administrator's account, then they would not even be able to reboot into safe mode.. your computer would be locked down... and you wouldn't lose your IMs since your computer would still be running... and they would have no reason to flip your power switch.. 

[doobie]

dont get me wrong.. i dont mind them using the computer.. i just hate when they restart it.. puttin a pw on the scrnsaver will only lock them out from using it.. once they restart it.. a password will block them from coming back on.. that'll teach 'em not to restart it again.. btw thx for the responses guys..

[gazu2k]

If you wanna lock the boot process, go in your BIOS and set a password on the hard drive (not the BIOS)

Enjoy!

[doobie]

If you wanna lock the boot process, go in your BIOS and set a password on the hard drive (not the BIOS)

Enjoy!

lol dats what im saying.. how do i go in the bios and do that?