Stopping user from installing Windows.

[Monovertex]

Ok, here's the story: in our classroom we have a computer, one which we share with the 9th graders that study in the afternoon (we study in the morning). These guys have managed to screw the system so bad so we couldn't even reinstall windows. After all, I think they somewhat managed to get it back working and installed Windows. They created their password-protected user (Windows XP), but left the Administrator paswordless. I got into safe mode and through the Administrator account I created an account for ourselves, an admin account, password protected.

However, I think they guessed our password, because now our account is a limited one and the Administrator account is password-protected.

I need help on how to get our account back to administratorship, because we need to install at least the drivers (!), as it seems the 9th graders know how to break our password but they are clueless about those things called drivers (they didn't installed them so far) . Besides that, I need to know if I can stop any user from reinstalling windows or somehow protecting my account so they won't limit us again.

I don't really want to go and talk to the computer administrator, as the tech guys in our school are really retarted and I think he'll screw it up even more...

 

[Slapshot136]

1. how did you try to reinstall windows? please say be restarting and booting up from a CD

2. I dont think they guessed your password, since if they have an admin account, they can simply change the password of any account or set it to limited user (which is what you should have done.. )

3. reinstall windows XP from a cd (again if you already have done so), and this time make sure you have a strong password (10+ digits/characters) and dont do something stupid like writing it on a sticky-note next to the computer.. you shouldn't need to use this password more then occasionally.

 

[Monovertex]

Please don't take me as a computer newbie .

Of course I did it by booting up. Problem is, the computer did not even get to the bios thing, you could not even modify the boot priority, let alone actually booting .

To change the password of an account you need to know the old one. At first there were 2 users. Theirs and the Administrator. Theirs was protected, Administrator wasn't. I logged as Administrator, created an admin user for ourselves and password-protected it. So I could not change their password, nor change their user to limited (again, you need their password). So yes, I think they guessed or broke it. They could not change it or limit us without knowing that password.

As for the sticky-note... that was pretty insulting, you know. I would reinstall Windows, but what stops them from doing the same?

Asking me those questions proves that you simply missed the point of the thread and just thought 'this guy is a noob' or something along those lines. I need a way to stop them from installing Windows again, not some advices for starter-guys.

 

[konerboy]

so what happens if you boot the computer now?

after the bios which dosn't appear

 

[Monovertex]

Um... please read the first post again?

After all, I think they somewhat managed to get it back working and installed Windows.

Guys, get this straight: I want a way to prevent them to reinstall Windows.

 

[UndeadDragon]

AFAIK if they have the disk, you can't stop them from installing it. Hide the disk?

 

[Monovertex]

Well, I'm not going into details, but they can easily get another one. Meh, I was pretty much thinking there's no way, but I can still hope, right? xD

Guess I have to talk to them and probably also talk to the head-teacher of our class... Gah... communicating with mortal people >.>.

 

[xxxtrickyxxx]

useless suggestion ---> rip out the cd and zip drive from the computer, problem fixed.

 

[Ghan]

I don't know for sure, but Deep Freeze might do it:

http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp

I'm not familiar enough with it to know if it will prevent OS modifications. Though if they find a way to format the HDD, I think that will still break anything you could do to protect it.

 

[Sevion]

Deep Freeze can be broken. I used a program called Deep Unfreezer on our public library's computers and made a .bat file that shut down the computer and replaced IE shortcut with that.



Don't use Deep Freeze. If they can do what I've read above, Deep Freeze won't help.

 

[Rapmaster]

Password protect the BIOS options, disable booting from anything but the hard drive and put the computer in a locked cabinet with only the keyboard, mouse and monitor exposed. If people really need to have access to USB ports or a CD ROM drive you can put an external USB hub (to which you can connect a USB CD ROM drive or memory keys etc) outside the cabinet but you are weaknening things by doing this. Then along with a program like Deep Freeze or Microsoft Windows SteadyState and locking down local admin access you can make it pretty difficult to break. (I believe that Deep Unfreezer tool requires local admin rights so of course it would work on a Windows 9x system but my guess is that it wouldn't work on properly secured 2000/XP/Vista/etc) Keep the OS patches up-to-date as well.

 

[Prometheus]

You've been pwned by freshies.

In the bios you can set a password required when booting. I suggest you do.

 

[Monovertex]

Thanks for the BIOS password suggestion! I'll do that and probably install the DeepFreeze or SteadyState, but I doubt I can lock the thing in a cabinet .

Thanks for all the suggestion, spreading love with some rep <3.