I have Windows ME and cable internet access, so I have a network card.

I know that there is a way to have to put in a password for Windows, but all you have to do to circumvent it is to hit escape.

Is there a way to cause computer to ask for a password that can't be circumvented? I would like to keep my niece off the computer if I'm not around.

My sister has Windows 98SE and she might also want to know how to do this.

Thanks.

Howdy Becky:

Easiest way IF your motherboard supports it is to put a BIOS boot password on the system.. Just check in your BIOS under the password option or read your systemboard manual.

Then, when the system boots up, a password request appears.. No password or the wrong one and no boot up period !!

Murray

And if that doesn't work 2000 and XP have permanet passwords now.

ivnj

Here's how to disable the Cancel and escape keys:
Some info aquired from this site: http://www.psynch.com/docs/best_practices.html

Open Notepad and paste the following into it:

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REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon]
"MustBeValidated"=dword:00000001

---

Click File > Save As...
Select "All files" from "Save as Type"
I suggest that you save it to your desktop under the filename "loginfix.reg", click Save.

Now go to your desktop and double-click the file. Windows will ask you if you want to add the information to the registry, click "Yes".

Make sure you know your password! Now reboot and the Cancel button and the Escape key should be disabled.

I hope this was helpful!

Dwight --

A second opinion, please. I believe I have a solution, but I don't know if a simpler one is available. Here's what I have in mind.

Step (1): Enable user profiles and customization (Desktop and Start Menu). Create an account for Becky, copying the existing Desktop and Start Menu, and have her choose a password. This account will have Internet access.

Step (2): Log off, then click Cancel at the Login dialog. In Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings, Proxy Server/Advanced, set all to 127.0.0.1, port 1. I believe this should disable Internet access.

Disable access to the Internet Options tool Connections tab with

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"ConnectionsTab"=dword:1

Opinions?

I can't think of anything that would be easier, either. Great suggestion, TomGL2. This seems to be a very elegant solution that is easy to do and yet I believe would be totally effective.

Dwight

But ME has no user accounts right? 2000 and XP do only right?

ivnj

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'm not sure I understand everything though.

It is true that 98% of her time is on the Internet, but which would be the best thing to do if I don't want my niece to be able to use the computer at all?

Also wondering about IVNJ's question if ME has user accounts rights (not that I understand fully how that relates to the suggestions!)

Beckyddd --

My previous message is in a kind of shorthand suitable for Dwight, but not a typical user. Don't be disheartened if it seems incomprehensible! What it suggests is a method which disables Internet access for the Default user; therefore, bypassing the login by pressing Escape or clicking Cancel would result in no Internet.

I see that you want to disable access to the computer entirely, however, which requires a different approach. I'll post again a bit later, but other APers are bound to make worthwhile suggestions.

Beckyddd,

I've carefully reviewed Windows ME's security features. Short review -- there are none. I've therefore examined a few alternatives, and developed a simple solution which should serve the purpose.

---

Click Start, Run, type Notepad C:\Windows\Desktop\ReqLogon.reg, then press Enter and click Yes. Enter the lines

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"LogOff"="C:\\WINDOWS\\RUNDLL32.EXE C:\\Windows\\System\\SHELL32.DLL,SHExitWindowsEx 0"

Please note the space after both RUNDLL32.EXE and SHExitWindowsEx, and Press Enter after the last line, else this Registry script will not work. Click File, Exit, and Yes to save the file and close Notepad.

Enter the information into the Registry. To do this, right-click the ReqLogon.reg file, then click Merge, Yes, and OK. Done.

---

How it works --

If the user (your niece) presses Escape or clicks Cancel to dismiss the login prompt, the Desktop will load. The SHExitWindowsEx 0 command will immediately log off the user and return to the login prompt.

For this to work, you of course need to password-protect the computer. If you do not already use a password, double-click My Computer, Control Panel, Passwords, and click Change Windows Password. Enter your password twice, then click OK and OK.

Beckyddd,

Regarding the method outlined in my previous reply, please do not try this yet. It is possible that you are logging in to the default account. If so, this will stop you from accessing your computer, even when you log in properly.

Please wait until either Dwight or myself verify that you do have a profile. If not, either of us can walk you through the process of creating one.

Sorry for the lateness of this followup, but I've been unable to access AnswerPool for about ten hours.

Getting back to this, you need a user profile (account) for this to work. The profile does not use the default settings.

(1) Double-click My Computer, Control Panel, and Passwords, then click the User Profiles tab.

Choose "Users can customize...settings". Select "Include Desktop..." and "Include Start menu...".

Click OK and restart the computer.

(2) Double-click My Computer, Control Panel, and Users.

-(a)-- If you see your login name, click it, then click Change Settings. UNselect all the options, then click Next and Finish.

NOTE: If the selections described in (1) and (2a) are already set, the system is already configured properly.

-(b)-- If you do NOT see your login name, create a user profile. Click New User, and enter a user name and password. UNselect all the options, then click Next and Finish.

(3) Log off, then log in with the new user name and password. Verify that The Programs menu and Documents folder appear correct.

(4) Follow the instructions in the previous post to disable bypassing the login dialog and password.

you can of coarse take the power plug with you
(temperary fix) hehheh

quote:

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you can of course take the power plug with you
(temporary fix)

---

Right, let's not forget the "hardware solutions"!

The hardware solutions always seem simpler than hacking the Windows registry. Curse the Microsoftie who came up with the notion of the Registry!!! (I miss win.ini)

Adding a Registry entry is not actually necessary. You could instead create a shortcut with the command line

C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL32.EXE C:\Windows\System\SHELL32.DLL,SHExitWindowsEx 0

and add it to the C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp folder. The only problem with this approach is that the program would not run if the user held down a Shift key while the Desktop was loading. This method of bypassing startup programs does not affect those launched from the Registry.

Thanks. I agree initially it is simpler to take the power cord, but with my low tolerance for frustration, to me it would soon become a hassle.

If I use the method outlined by Tom, once it is done, it's done.

I just have another question. I did not see a login name, so I created a new user. Then when I clicked on Set Password, it asked me what the old password was. No matter what I typed in, it told me the old password was incorrect. I used the password that I thought I had used in the past for all my passwords.

I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but I recently had followed some answerpool instructions on getting rid of the prompt that says "Enter Network Password." I had just started getting that prompt after I installed a network card for cable internet access.

So I will be eagerly awaiting the next instructions so I can get past this point.

Thanks again.

As this is a NEW user account, no password exists yet, so leave "old password" blank.

I would be amiss if I didn't provide removal instructions, so --

Click Start, Run, type Notepad C:\Windows\Desktop\EscLogon.reg, then press Enter and click Yes. Enter the lines

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"LogOff"=-

That's a minus sign after the equal sign. Again, be sure to press Enter after the last line. Click File, Exit, and Yes to save the file and close Notepad.

To update the Registry, right-click the EscLogon.reg file, then click Merge, Yes, and OK. Done. Pressing Esc or clicking Cancel at login will no longer immediately log off.

Hey Tom! I finally had time to follow your instructions. It's great. Everything is working like you said.

My sister has Windows 98SE. Would these same instructions work for her also?

Thanks alot.

Hi, Becky. Glad to hear of your success. You can use exactly the same methods with Win98 SE. Be sure to log on to the new account BEFORE entering ReqLogon.reg into the Registry.