XP: Password and Account management

Contributed by William_Wilson March 4, 2006  
Tagged: Windows

Useful on a multi-user computer OR network
Change and prevent others from changing passwords plus help prevent password theft on your network, also enable/disable user accounts and assign privilages.

This will require you to have administrative privilages over the current computer and/or network.

To prevent Password Theft, the easiest way is to force the ctrl+alt+del to be pressed on startup before a username or password is ever entered.

***Start here for all steps below:
-start\run
-type control userpasswords2 and press enter
-select the advanced tab
***

*If making changes to network accounts, depending on OS, there may be different folders to the left for network users, simply replace the name users with the name of that folder.

Here’s How:
-under the secure logon option, check the box labelled Require Users to press ctrl+alt+del

Now to distribute access rights:
-under the Advanced User Managment option select advanced
-in the new window select users to the left

Change a User’s Password:
*It is not recemmended that you change your own password in this way, use the control panel for that.
-right click on the user you wish to modify
-select set password
-click proceed on the dialog that pops up
-simply enter the password and repeat
*Can be used to ban privilages or modify suspected stolen passwords quikly and easily without knowing the original password.

Disable User Account:
-right click on the user
-select properties
-check box labelled Account is Disabled
*undo this check to enable again

Disable Changing of Password:
-right click on the user
-select properties
-check box labelled User Cannot Change Password
*undo this check to enable again

Add network home directory
-right click on the user
-select properties
-choose the profile tab
-under the Home Folder option
-select the connect radio button
-choose the drive letter from the list
-or supply a range of drives from list to textfield

Add Privileges:
-right click on the user
-select properties
-choose the Member Of tab
-press the add button
-press the advanced tab
-select the Object Type and Location
*If these fields only have 1 option this is fine (you may not be on a network)
-press find now
-select the user who’s privilages you wish to apply to this account
*eg. Administrator, etc
-press OK
*you may repeat this to apply multiple privilage levels or categories
-now press OK on the next menu
-the user has become a member of the group the privilages of that group

Remove Privileges:
-right click on the user
-select properties
-choose the Member Of tab
-select the privilage to remove
-press remove
-the user has lost privilages of the removed group

Add New User:
-press action on the task bar
-select Add User
-fill out the information for the new user and press Create

Remove User:
-selecet user to remove
-press action on the task bar
-select delete

Questions/Comments: william_a_wilson@hotmail.com
-William. § (marvin_gohan)