# How do I completey secure my computer? (Win XP)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 1, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859 "2004-03-01T04:24:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Alietta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alietta)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/1 "2004-03-01T04:24:27Z")
I set a password for my computer using windows xp professional but somehow someone bypassed the first screen when the computer boots up and you select the account. I disabled everything but the administratot one. Also, I have set it to input a password when the screensaver goes up. Is it still vulnerable and how do I secure my computer once and for all?
---
### Author:  [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/2 "2004-03-01T04:27:56Z")
Most computers have a password protect option in the BIOS/CMOS, and won’t run anything without the password, if it’s enabled.
---
### Author:  [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/3 "2004-03-01T05:26:26Z")
> [@Eleusis](#):
>
> Most computers have a password protect option in the BIOS/CMOS, and won’t run anything without the password, if it’s enabled.
For a bit of overkill, my case’s front door and side panels lock, preventing anyone from opening the case to reset the BIOS or, for that matter, turning on the computer at all.
---
### Author:  [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/4 "2004-03-01T06:21:27Z")
BIOS password is best but that can be defeated by a knowledgable geek if he has a few minutes and can open the tower.
Locking tower with a key is also good.
Best is ‘mobile trays’. Take them out and take them with you. That you way you have the hard drives with you so…
Better yet, don’t put nuttin secret on your machine and when the kids or coworkers or MIL or asshat gets in your computer without permission, and against instructions, shot them. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/5 "2004-03-01T06:33:48Z")
**Alietta** , to answer the other part of your question, yes, the computer is still vulnerable. A boot disk with DOS2NTFS will allow anybody to access your files.
The BIOS method will prevent somebody from even booting a floppy without the password. As others have mentioned, it’s possible to reset the BIOS by removing power and shorting a jumper on the motherboard. You would know there had been an intrusion however because your password would be gone.
Another solution would be a PGP encrypted partition housing all your sensitive data.
---
### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/6 "2004-03-01T06:48:13Z")
> [@Catalyst](#):
>
> For a bit of overkill, my case’s front door and side panels lock, preventing anyone from opening the case to reset the BIOS or, for that matter, turning on the computer at all.
But unless the back side is also locked up, you can just pull the power cord out & re-insert it. This will restart almost all systems I’ve worked with, and then you can jump into the BIOS setup during the power-up process.
---
### Author:  [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/7 "2004-03-01T07:30:00Z")
There is no possible way to completely secure your computer if other people has physical access to it, full stop. So the first step is to stop people from accessing it. Once you do that, others can only access it remotely. You can usually prevent intrusion by using a firewall - configured properly, of course.
---
### Author:  [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/8 "2004-03-01T07:46:53Z")
> [@Urban Ranger](#):
>
> There is no possible way to completely secure your computer if other people has physical access to it, full stop. So the first step is to stop people from accessing it. Once you do that, others can only access it remotely. You can usually prevent intrusion by using a firewall - configured properly, of course.
As stated aboved, an encryped partition would protect data even if the harddrive were stolen and placed in another computer. [PGPdisk](http://www.pgpi.org/products/pgpdisk/) is free and effective. [Here](http://www.thenakedpc.com/articles/v05/01/0501-04.html) is an article about it. [Here](http://dmoz.org/Computers/Security/Products_and_Tools/Cryptography/Hard_Disk_Encryption/) are bunch more hard drive encryption solutions.
---
### Author:  [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/9 "2004-03-01T14:03:55Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> But unless the back side is also locked up, you can just pull the power cord out & re-insert it. This will restart almost all systems I’ve worked with, and then you can jump into the BIOS setup during the power-up process.
You’ll still need to reset the BIOS password first (method depends on the model of computer) before you can get into the BIOS setup.
---
### Author:  [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/10 "2004-03-01T14:34:14Z")
> [@Eleusis](#):
>
> As stated aboved, an encryped partition would protect data even if the harddrive were stolen and placed in another computer. [PGPdisk](http://www.pgpi.org/products/pgpdisk/) is free and effective. [Here](http://www.thenakedpc.com/articles/v05/01/0501-04.html) is an article about it. [Here](http://dmoz.org/Computers/Security/Products_and_Tools/Cryptography/Hard_Disk_Encryption/) are bunch more hard drive encryption solutions.
Windows XP Professional has encryption built in. From Explorer, select the files or folders that you want to protect, right click to bring up the context menu and select Properties (or type Alt+Enter to bring up the Properties dialog directly). Select Advanced, and then check the “Encrypt contents to secure data” check box. Note that this only works on NTFS volumes.
---
### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/11 "2004-03-01T19:51:11Z")
> [@dmartin](#):
>
> You’ll still need to reset the BIOS password first (method depends on the model of computer) before you can get into the BIOS setup.
True, but this only applies to PC’s that had a BIOS password set beforehand. And that’s a very small percentage of PC’s.
---
### Author:  [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-completey-secure-my-computer-win-xp/231859/12 "2004-03-01T23:18:51Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#):
>
> Windows XP Professional has encryption built in. From Explorer, select the files or folders that you want to protect, right click to bring up the context menu and select Properties (or type Alt+Enter to bring up the Properties dialog directly). Select Advanced, and then check the “Encrypt contents to secure data” check box. Note that this only works on NTFS volumes.
Yes, but the difference is that PGP can require a passphrase every time you boot the machine before it will “mount” the encrypted folder. If somebody is able to log on to your console, using the built-in XP encryption they will have easy access to all the encrypted files.