"PLEASEHELPME" <PLEASEHELPME@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:18F1D125-65E1-4B22-8C36-FBCC1F51F0C4@microsoft.com...
>i need to know if there is a way to do this because even though i have
> password protected my PC, my teen still finds a way to start it in safe
> mode
> when i am not home and accesses all types of porn and things i dont
> approve
> of. My son knows more about computers than I do so he has found a way to
> start it in safe mode and get an internet connection using TCIP or
> something
> like that. I have tried unplugging my verizon modem when im not going to
> be
> home and he still finds a way to connect to the net. If someone can tell
> me
> a way to prevent starting in safe mode or him getting an internet
> connection,
> please let me know. I am at my wits end!!!!
Disabling safe mode would not be a good idea even if you could do so.
It's quite likely that the reason he can use Safe Mode to browse etc. is
that you have not placed a good password on the Administrator account, which
is in XP Home only available from Safe Mode. By default, that account has
no password (you just press Enter).
You need to restart the system in Safe Mode, log in to the Administrator
account, and create a good password. This will immediately prevent safe
mode logins without the password. Change this password periodically.
As well, log in to your own account and change your password.
And, look for other accounts that you haven't noticed.
In addition, you might want to investigate system utilities like NetNanny
and CyberSitter. Both have free demo versions (they run, full featured,
for about a month for free) so you can decide if it does what you want and
if you're comfortable with it.
These types of utilities give a lot of control over how a PC can be used and
when and by whom.
They do depend on the strength of their administrative password, so you need
to make a good password, and to change it regularly.
But if this is your PC and no-one else should be using it, proper passwords
should be sufficient. It's likely that you just missed one.
Finally, if you don't want the PC used at all in your absence, the system
almost certainly has a place in the BIOS to set up a startup password.
This prevents anyone, including you, from getting to the OS without the
password. Exactly how you do this varies from system to system, but at
power-up, watch the screen for a message to press a key "to enter setup".
This is often F2, DEL, or F10. This will take you into the BIOS SETUP and
you should find the password there.
Be careful with this, as it can in some cases be difficult to remove if you
forget the password; laptops, for example, sometimes have to be sent to the
manufacturer to have the password cleared. This is an anti-theft feature.
HTH
-pk
