Can I prevent another administrator on my computer from looking at my files?

Question

I have windows XP Home and I share the computer with my sister. I am the administrator but she wants her account to be an administrator as well. If I make her an administrator can she then look at my files and stuff and if so can I prevent it?

Answer 1

easiest way is to use a 3rd party app to encrypt the folder(s) [and therefore put things you may not want prying eyes to see in those particular folders]

all of the windows p/w features allow for recoverability of p/w at this point in time OR have vulnerabilities *EVEN* if they say they dont [well, okay the latest office and vista betas might be secure .... i havent poked and prodded them yet, nor will i install until their release at the end of Jan 2k7 ... "supposedly" bitlocker is secure]

so you could try the winblows efs if you are running xp [assuming u are using an ntfs file system not a fat variant else u will have to convert to ntfs] - JUST make sure you dont backup the certs & keys onto that system if sis is going to have admin privi's [otherwise as stated you have a key recovery vulnerability]
either keep em on a flash device that you can physically protect from sis (or anyone else) access OR just use a p/w that you retain only in your head (and dont divulge it sleep-talking lol)


examples of 3rd party apps that would keep your sis out would be pgpdisk, bcrypt (assuming blowfish isnt broken already nor will be anytime soon), Entrust has a security suite that has a file encryption prog, ...

Answer 2

Right click on the files you dont want to share and click sharing. You can figure it out from there. You cant have two seperate administrator accounts.

Answer 3

If you are an administrator, you can block ppl from looking at your stuff.

It might be better to save your personal files on a flashdrive. Thats what I did.

Answer 4

Put a password on that directory. Or start in safe mode and you can login to the administrator without a password sometimes. Worked for me XD

Answer 5

You can not prevent her access to the files using XP. You will have to protect them in a different manner.

Answer 6

change your file system to NTFS
then put a password on ypur account a message will appear that says do u want to make ur files private
accept it then try to open ur document and settings frm the other admin it will say access denied
it will only work on NTFS NOT FAT32

Answer 7

Create a separate partition or even a folder to keep your data in and password protect the access.

Answer 8

Yes, she can. You would have to password encrypt your files or keep them on a hard disk that you can disconnect when you're not using the computer.

Answer 9

that's often an indication of malware. in case you have an anti-virus, I propose you're making constructive it has the main contemporary virus definitions and run a test with it in secure Mode or secure Mode with Networking. the two often preclude malware from retaining itself. in case you don’t have one, a lot of human beings right here swear with the aid of AVG (it’s unfastened). I propose you in addition to could get carry of advert-conscious 2008 and Spybot S&D (they’re unfastened), setting up them, replace them and run them. If any of the above (or any anti-malware, for that count) doesn’t look to have the means to run precise or do away with each thing it comments finding, attempt working it back in secure Mode. additionally, turn off device fix to evict any copies of undesirable stuff which would be lurking there. To get into secure Mode or secure Mode with Networking: one million. log off and reboot your gadget. 2. while the gadget starts the reboot series, press the F8 key persistently. 3. opt for secure Mode or secure Mode with Networking from the consequent menu. 4. while the login exhibit screen comes up, log in as Administrator. with the aid of default, Administrator has no password. 5. The gadget will proceed booting, however the homestead windows laptop will seem distinctive. 6. once you're finished doing what you're able to be able to desire to do, log off and reboot back into widely used mode. word that in spite of if the anti-malware classes do away with the malware, they could no longer have the means to opposite the outcomes. seek the cyber web for achievable fixes. replace and run each thing often, no longer in user-friendly terms once you think of you have already got malware. stable luck.

Answer 10

if you want to hide your porn...well you can get another computer...you can also make some files restricted, or non-shared...but why should i tell a lil perv like you? good luck chap