Windows 7: A slight bit of tech aide please.

Okay, so my friend has a house guest who created a user account on his laptop and password protected it. Is there a way for my friend to go in and see what his houseguest is doing without changing the guests account. My friend thinks that his houseguest is making Porn Mast******* video's and wants them off of his computer but doesn't want to accuse the guest without proof.

Any help would be appreciated.

Not that I know of if the other user created the account. It might be possible to take ownership of the files from the admin account and view them for the other user, but there is no real way to "see what they are doing" that I know of.

Unless they install a key logger and find the house guests passwords????

I'm sorry but its really stupid to let a guest create a password protected account on one's laptop. Whats to stop him taking control of the machine/ enable builtin admin and lock the owner out of his own machine? Your friend should have simply enabled the guest account or at most created a limited account for the guest's use. And what kind of guest is this who misuses other's hospitality?

I say, get your friend to delete the guest's account, choose to keep his files. That way you can actually check whether he was indulging in mischief. For the sake of politeness, your friend can make up some excuse about having accidentally deleted the guest's account.

I sure hope not. Our computers and users accounts need to be secure or it makes using our computers for personal business rather worthless.

Here's the scary part for me - who's account was he using to create this new account? It seems like your friend allowed his guest access to his own admin account - big mistake. And I suspect he made this new account as another admin account, and that's bad. Very bad as it puts the owner's account in jeopardy too.

If me, I would take that computer back NOW. Delete any and all user accounts the guest created. Scan the computer with every anti-malware solution in your arsenal. Purge the computer of all crud. Go through Add and Remove programs and uninstall any programs you did not install or no longer need (leave any unsure of). Then, if this guest really does need a computer and network access, create a "Standard" or "Limited User" (NOT an admin) account for the guest and let him use that.

If the guest complains, show him the door or tell him to get his own computer.