Password protect shutdown...

[Gamingphreek]

I built a Media Center PC using Vista Ultimate as the OS.

While I am home from college, I installed it in the downstairs family room. I access my media on that computer from my main PC up in my room.

My two younger sisters keep shutting the computer down all the time for WHATEVER reason. Can someone tell me if there is a way to require a password upon choosing to shutdown?

-Kevin

 

[bruceb]

You need to do a few things to accomplish this.
1): Set up a special account to use while the media server is up.
2): Use GPEDIT to set policies on that account so that all access
to things like the Shut down screen and also to Ctrl+Alt+Del are disabled.
3): Be sure to hide the Admin Accounts and put a strong password on
all admin level accounts. Also password any other user accounts and be
sure they are of Limited capabilities.
4); None of this will stop them from just hitting the Power Off button or
unplugging the unit.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: bruceb
You need to do a few things to accomplish this.
1): Set up a special account to use while the media server is up.
2): Use GPEDIT to set policies on that account so that all access
to things like the Shut down screen and also to Ctrl+Alt+Del are disabled.
3): Be sure to hide the Admin Accounts and put a strong password on
all admin level accounts. Also password any other user accounts and be
sure they are of Limited capabilities.
4); None of this will stop them from just hitting the Power Off button or
unplugging the unit.

That would work. So to shut down then I would have to run shutdown.exe as an administrator when in one of those other user profiles? Or would I have to logout completely and log back in?

I'm not worried about them hitting the power button or unplugging the cord. They know better than to do that. They don't know much about computers, but they absolutely know that.

-Kevin