Need to create a guest account for my nosy parents.

capheine · 16 Sep 2011

Hey people -

My folks are going to be staying with us for a week, and they will need to have use of my computer while they're here. They have been known to snoop around given the opportunity, so I want to curb that. How do I create a guest account for them with the following:

1. no access whatsoever to any files on any of my drives (we have financial records and other info on them that needs to remain private)
2. no access to my or my wife's internet history
3. no ability to install, uninstall, or otherwise modify the system at all

Basically, I want them to be able to use the internet and print documents if need be, but that's it.

Barman58 · 16 Sep 2011

You are probably best served by setting up a standard user and then using the built-in Windows Parental controls to limit their access, ( I know it's a touch ironic :) ).

As for your personal data on non system drives you may need to edit the file permissions for those areas - remove access for the everyone group, (make sure you explicitly add full access to you and your wife's specific user name first, if not already there), and any entries such as authenticated users, Homegroup etc., (make sure that the administrators group has full access for a safety net

maxseven · 16 Sep 2011

Make sure too when you're done that you test the heck out of it, to see if you can break (in? away?) to other parts of the computer from the Guest account.

It won't be easy to do, but you'll find it's worth having the Guest account their for times when visitors "just want to check some things on the Internet" using your PC.