The tenant's association for my apartment building decided that we needed a computer lab for all the tenants. They designated me (in absentia!) as the official "volunteer" tech guy. No real problem there, but I have a bit of a problem.

The association secured three used computers (they even swindled me out of my old PC!). Two of the computers run NT based Windows (XP and 2000). The third runs ME.

What I want to do is set up the ME computer so that only certain persons (such as myself) can change settings. I want to emulate the Administrator and Limited User (or, better yet, Guest) account types from XP/2000. Can this be done?

No hack is too egregious, no registry tweak too attrocious. The only thing I'm not willing (or able) to do is to purchase software (freeware is okay, though)

Help!

I have just what you are looking for, Core Control. It will give you the same abilities and "Limited User" in NT, W2k, or XP. You can lock out drives, controls, the ability to install software. I used it on my kids computer to stop them from installing everything on the net, when they were using ME. You will have a password that is effective. You will not be able to just hit "ESC" to circumvent it.
I hope that is what you were looking for. It is also list in the Freeware list.

Thanls, Aklan! Sounds perfect! I'll try to give it a shot tomorrow. For now, me is too sleepy. Need sleep...



Zzzzzzz

Ahhh! Works like a charm!

That in combination with M$'s Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP and I have two of the three computers locked down.

Now, any suggestions for Windows 2000?

What do you need. You can set the limited account and restrict access to almost anything.
Oh and by the way, you should set your computer to boot only to the hard drive, password the BIOS and put a padlock on the case. We all know of programs you can boot to change passwords and the would defeat the purpose of securing the OS would it not.

Way ahead of you! All three PC's boot from the HDD, the BIOS are password protected and the cases are locked!

I found the predecessor to the Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP, the Public Access Computer Security Tool from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which will work on WIndows 2000. Problem solved.