XP is old... Install Win 7 and setup accounts as non-admin. Win 7 also has a built-in drive imaging utility... use that instead of re-installing everything from scratch if the disk fails or OS ever gets corrupted. This takes an hour or two at most.
If I might add, getting a removable second hardrive, and once you have your install perfect the way you want it, make an archive copy, remove the backup drive and keep it in a closet where nothing can get at it.
then, you boot to a maintenance partition, enter a few instructions, and go have a sandwich while your system fixes itself.
Oh, and another thing, after you mentioned setting up accounts as "non-admin" on Win7, I looked at my account and realized it's an admin account.
I always thought that was okay and secure because of UAC... even though I'm an admin I still have to provide explicit authorization (by clicking "Yes" or "OK") to apps that run as an administrator and when I want to modify system files and stuff.
If I'm the only person who uses this computer, is an admin account okay and just as secure, or should I change my account type to standard (which is what MS recommends)?
If you are the only person and you use a non-admin account, you will be prompted for a password (not just a OK/Cancel dialog) whenever you install an app... kind of like Linux.
Nice to see that tips on securing XP are being shared given to the fact that now most people have shifted to Windows 7. Thanks a lot for the helpful tips.
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If I might add, getting a removable second hardrive, and once you have your install perfect the way you want it, make an archive copy, remove the backup drive and keep it in a closet where nothing can get at it.
then, you boot to a maintenance partition, enter a few instructions, and go have a sandwich while your system fixes itself.
I always thought that was okay and secure because of UAC... even though I'm an admin I still have to provide explicit authorization (by clicking "Yes" or "OK") to apps that run as an administrator and when I want to modify system files and stuff.
If I'm the only person who uses this computer, is an admin account okay and just as secure, or should I change my account type to standard (which is what MS recommends)?