User Restrictions (Win OS)

[RyanRazer]

Hello everyone!

So i live with my grandmother and she has an old laptop, like Stonehenge old.... I am getting a new PC rig and as her laptop is very slow, i was thinking of letting her use my new machine.

What i want to do, is limit her from messing with my stuff (breaking, accidentally deleting etc). I would need some solution like schools have - limit a user from installing staff on my environment, keep it separate and clean.

I am quite handy with computers and am familiar with some options. There is guest mode with restricted options, i could do a dual boot for separate OSs so my stays clean of viruses and stuff, i could go for deepFreeze option, Active Directory option, virtualization...

Keep in mind she is 70 and she needs as straight forward procedure to get to her desktop as possible. As few steps as possible. Each step means an hour off my time for explanations... So virtualization (although otherwise safe and generally good option to isolate environment) and stuff like this does not come in handy as she would never be able to learn that..

I would just like to give her her own small isolated piece of space on my computer without option of messing up mine

What is the smoothest, easiest (for her) and safest (for me) way to accomplish that?
Any help, idea, advice would be greatly appreciated:thumbsup:

 

[Bubbaleone]

You should be fine setting up the guest account for her. Guest has very limited access privileges and you can set it up without a password. There isn't a method of completely insulating the OS from unwanted changes when there's more than one user accoiunt, unless you're willing to install software like DeepFreeze and put up with having the OS reverted to the state when the snapshot was originally taken, every time you reboot. Dual boot would prevent your account from being compromised by her actions.

Edit: Forgive my bad manners; welcome to the forums, RyanRazer!

 

[DrGreen2007]

I dont see how Active Directory would help at all

Just setup a standard account for her, make a small partition of maybe 25gb and redirect her docs/pics, etc to that location

 

[RyanRazer]

You should be fine setting up the guest account for her. Guest has very limited access privileges and you can set it up without a password. There isn't a method of completely insulating the OS from unwanted changes when there's more than one user accoiunt, unless you're willing to install software like DeepFreeze and put up with having the OS reverted to the state when the snapshot was originally taken, every time you reboot. Dual boot would prevent your account from being compromised by her actions.

Edit: Forgive my bad manners; welcome to the forums, RyanRazer!

Thank you
I might do a dual-boot with a small partition like 100GB for her... I would have to put her OS as primary in BIOS so she wouldn't have to choose when booted.. MSCONFIG does this right?

I dont see how Active Directory would help at all

Just setup a standard account for her, make a small partition of maybe 25gb and redirect her docs/pics, etc to that location

But that way she can still infect my system with a virus... Download an affected pdf. or smth from malicious mail. Making a separate partition wouldn't do the trick... Can't you restrict rights to users from installing software with help of AD? If i remember right you can change r/w/c rights for each user... I could set C:/ partition as non writeable for her or stmh....

@DrGreen2007
This i had in mind: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-prevent-users-from-installing-programs-in-windows-7

 

[Bubbaleone]

Would you please elaborate how active directory applies to the OP? I'm pretty sure he's not trying to setup his Grandmother's account on a domain network.

 

[RyanRazer]

Excuse me, my fault. I was actually thinking of "Group Policy" above, not AD. My bad, haven't worked with that for a long time, mixed up terminology.
Anyways, i am paranoid of getting viruses and garbage in general on my D and C: partition... She (as all seniors) clicks on blinking windows without thinking 2 much...
So option of just making separate partition for here isn't the best in my opinion. I could try with GP like this: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-prevent-users-from-installing-programs-in-windows-7
Or maybe even better by making dual-boot and give her, her own OS.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I would investigate using "Parental Controls" and "Standard User Accounts", to restrict what she can run and install.

 

[RyanRazer]

I would investigate using "Parental Controls" and "Standard User Accounts", to restrict what she can run and install.

I would consider that option in regard to installing software but my main concern are viruses which she could get from internet.

Anti-virus is a good thing but are pain in the ass to keep updated and there are always new viruses that are not in database. If you are careless no anti-virus can help you.
I on the other hand use only Microsoft's defender free and i'm fine (for now). I try to stay away from suspicious/untrusted sites&downloads.

 

[Bubbaleone]

Many of the newer bootkits don't require anything more than unknowingly clicking an infected webpage link in order to install themselves. Whether you decide to go with group policy to further restrict the guest account or whether you setup a seperate active partition on the same drive, for a dual boot setup, you would both share the same boot sector and both systems would be compromised. Seperate disks will keep something nasty that she catches from killing your system.

 

[RyanRazer]

Woooow, even separate partition with separate OS does not do the trick?!

I'm blown away. Had no idea... K, thanks man for very valuable info! Much appreciated.
Happens i have a spare old HDD of 250GB right bellow my bed. I'll hook that up and make it her own separate disk with her own OS...

That's it! That is what i am going to do. Thank you all!