Gave my old PC to parents with Win 7 professional. Need to fortify it.

[slicksilver]

The computer will be used only for making travel bookings, email, office 365 and at most facebook. What can I do to ensure they dont mess with any of the internals of the OS? I dont want them to be able to install(for that matter uninstall), get any virus, install any addons or malware to make my life easier. I would also like to have remote access just in-case I need to show them how to do something. The only other software installed on the PC other than the OS is office 365 currently. Windows and office updates are turned on.

How would you go about implementing the above? Thanks in advance for any help you are able to provide.

 

[lxskllr]

I put Ubuntu on my mother's computer. No issues, and I access it with Teamviewer.

 

[Ketchup]

Standard user account with teamviewer. Probably tell the browser to delete all data when ending the session. Use an ad-blocker to keep them away from unsafe links.

Have an extra drive so you can image the machine once it's set up.

 

[slicksilver]

I put Ubuntu on my mother's computer. No issues, and I access it with Teamviewer.

I have no knowledge of nix. They'll be intimidated too if they are presented with something they are not already familiar with. Thanks for your suggestion.

 

[slicksilver]

Standard user account with teamviewer. Probably tell the browser to delete all data when ending the session. Use an ad-blocker to keep them away from unsafe links.

Have an extra drive so you can image the machine once it's set up.

Thanks. Doing these already and disabling autorun too. Anything else I'm missing ?

 

[cabri]

Stick on a firewall that restricts outgoing connections to authorized applications. Jsut in case something slips through by user mistake
I use ZoneAlarm for our family&relatives' systems

Activate (if not already) a Distributed Computing project for Team Anandtech while at it. :thumbsup:

 

[slicksilver]

Stick on a firewall that restricts outgoing connections to authorized applications. Jsut in case something slips through by user mistake
I use ZoneAlarm for our family&relatives' systems

Wont Windows Defender cut it?

Activate (if not already) a Distributed Computing project for Team Anandtech while at it.

Yes. Will do. Thanks.

 

[cabri]

Wont Windows Defender cut it?

I started using ZoneAlarm/AVG 10-15 years when an ex-son-in-law contaminated my laptop.

Between that and AVG; my systems have since been trouble free (XP->Win8) :thumbsup:

I have no knowledge on Defender; what is working for me is free and does the job. :biggrin:

 

[Ketchup]

Just be careful here OP. You know your parents better than we do, but equipping a computer because you know that it is going they are going to get a virus by touching it is not the sweetest move. I certainly didn't do this with my parents, and there is never malicious software on their computer whenever we are over for a visit and I check.

I am also not a fan of zone alarm. I have used it at various times over the past 15 years and all it seems to do is kill my internet speed. You might be surprised at how helpful an ad-blocker (which will block malicious links) combined with Windows firewall (in which non-microsoft apps get permission only by the user's allowance) can be.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Use an ad-blocker to keep them away from unsafe links.

How does an ad blocker keep one away from unsafe links? It's mostly just an annoyance avoider.

The single biggest threat is going to be email attachments. Teach them to never open an attachment they aren't expecting and never from anyone they don't know. Teach them about phishing and show them how to look at and understand an incoming email address and (more importantly) how to view and understand where links within email messages point.

 

[VirtualLarry]

combined with Windows firewall (in which non-microsoft apps get permission only by the user's allowance) can be.

Windows firewall allows free outbound access for any program. It only prompts for inbound access.

 

[Ketchup]

How does an ad blocker keep one away from unsafe links? It's mostly just an annoyance avoider....

I would say 80% of tbe viruses I remove stem from a series of malicious links. Very small percentage are e-mail attachments.

 

[Ketchup]

Windows firewall allows free outbound access for any program. It only prompts for inbound access.

If I have legit software on my computer, I don't really care what is being sent out. A consumer is preventing malware from coming into his/her computer, not going out from it.

 

[MustISO]

I installed sandboxie on my parents computer and set it to launch all applications in a sandbox. I remote in when software needs to be updated and do it for them. The have limited user accounts, I have NoScript and Adblock installed for them and they don't have flash or java installed on the machine.

They've been safe in the last 6 years by doing this.

 

[slicksilver]

Just be careful here OP. You know your parents better than we do, but equipping a computer because you know that it is going they are going to get a virus by touching it is not the sweetest move. I certainly didn't do this with my parents, and there is never malicious software on their computer whenever we are over for a visit and I check.

A common problem is them using USB drives. Amongst their friends and circles they shares pictures on USB drives and it has always been the first source of virus/malware in my parents case. I just want them to have a trouble free and a safe session whenever they want to use the computer. Other than IE and the Office 365 they will not be using anything. Occasionally copying pictures to their folders might be the only other thing. They find downloading many files over email annoying.

 

[smakme7757]

Just setup Windows 7, update it and install a current quality AV. I would buy a license of Trend Micro, plenty cheap. If you bog down the PC with "Security Software X" and "Security Software Y" it will just hamper their user experience.

If they are going to be installing software then they should be set as an administrator, if not they can be a standard user.

My folks run Windows 8 with Trend Micro with an admin account, no problems since Windows 8 launch.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

I'd always run them as a standard user, that will be a lot more secure. It has worked well for me.

Just setup Windows 7, update it and install a current quality AV. I would buy a license of Trend Micro, plenty cheap. If you bog down the PC with "Security Software X" and "Security Software Y" it will just hamper their user experience.

If they are going to be installing software then they should be set as an administrator, if not they can be a standard user.

My folks run Windows 8 with Trend Micro with an admin account, no problems since Windows 8 launch.

 

[smakme7757]

I'd always run them as a standard user, that will be a lot more secure. It has worked well for me.

Do you force them to type in a password each time they get a UAC promt?

If not, they are most likely just pressing "Yes" every single time it pops up.

 

[slicksilver]

Just setup Windows 7, update it and install a current quality AV. I would buy a license of Trend Micro, plenty cheap. If you bog down the PC with "Security Software X" and "Security Software Y" it will just hamper their user experience.

If they are going to be installing software then they should be set as an administrator, if not they can be a standard user.

My folks run Windows 8 with Trend Micro with an admin account, no problems since Windows 8 launch.

I wouldn't give installation permissions to my parents. This is the easiest way to get infected with a virus/malware. Friends of theirs got scammed recently because of this. Google "ammyy tech support scam".

 

[smakme7757]

I wouldn't give installation permissions to my parents. This is the easiest way to get infected with a virus/malware. Friends of theirs got scammed recently because of this. Google "ammyy tech support scam".

I'd rather reinstall windows every 6 months than have to administer their PC often because they want to install, update, remove, reconfigure something.

Most destructive and privacy invading malware these days are written to infect standard user accounts anyway, so I'm not sure you're getting the benefit you think you are.

But if you have enough free time to help them out when the need arises and it gives you peace of mind, then why not i guess.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Yes but then again it almost never pops up since they don't install much new stuff. Otherwise I could help them install.

USB drives could be a problem, yes. I'd definitely disable autorun too.

Do you force them to type in a password each time they get a UAC promt?

If not, they are most likely just pressing "Yes" every single time it pops up.