Windows 7: GUIDE: How to protect directories from childrn and other usrs of a PC

Setting the “Restricted Access” group

· Create the new user(s) you want to allow restricted access to the computer. For this example we’ll use a new user named “Visitor”.


· Set the user(s) up as standard user(s).

· Open Computer Management (Control Panel --> System and Security --> Administrative Tools --> Computer Management ).


· Under “Local Users and Groups” select “Groups”.


· Right-click anywhere within the blank space of the middle window (or select Action from the top toolbar) and then select “New Group…”


· Give the group a name, Ideally we’ll use “Restricted Access” with a description of “Restricted Access”.


· Under “Users” right-click “Visitor” (the newly created user(s) in your case) and select Properties.


· In “Member Of ” tab click “Add…”. In the Object Name box (Where it says “Enter the object names to select “) type “Restricted Access” and click ok.

· The user should now be an unique member of the “Restricted Access” group.

· Do this for each user you want to restrict access to.

Setting File Permissions for the “Restricted Access” Group

· Locate the drive or folder you want to restrict access to, right-click it, and select Properties from the context (drop-down) menu.

· Select the Security tab

· If you do not see the “Restricted Access” group you created earlier, click “Edit…”, then Click “Add..”; type “Restricted Access” (without the quotes) into the object name box, and then click ok.



· Back under the security tab select the “Restricted Access” group, and configure desired access permissions, then click ok.

· Allow Windows to configure the new permissions you just set up, restart the computer, and Presto! You now have Secured your PC from standard users [that are also members of the Restricted Access group] !

Hello jamananderson, I think some screen shots of this process would also be very useful.

After making the standard user "Visitor" a member of the Restricted Access group...

After you right click on your drive or folder you want to protect from other users --> select Properties --> Security tab... you should be able to set unique file permissions for the Restricted Access group which applies to everyone that is a member of that group ( hence the standard user "Visitor"). If you set deny attributes here it overrides any access you've granted earlier or from membership in any other groups (e.g. the group users ) and the user will be denied access to the selected disk or folder.

Here is what the user "Visitor" sees on my computer when double clicking on the D:/ drive. This is because, using the aforementioned steps, I've restricted access to this drive, as well as E:/ . Hope this helps!

Thanks for posting this Jamanderson, looks easy enough to me. I'll keep this link handy because the question about how to do this comes up all the time.

Thanks. Good idea. How about the reverse? In a manner of speaking, you're blacklisting users, what about whitelisting?