Pheew! I was worried there for a moment! ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by amarok-sookgah
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Pheew! I was worried there for a moment! ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by amarok-sookgah
Good point, wouldn't want her getting some techie friend to format and re-install windows.Quote:
Originally Posted by amarok-sookgah
I think the removable hard drive idea, suggested by bistro, is sounding good.I don't think it did, I think LindaHewitt was suggesting using my idea AND your idea egQuote:
Originally Posted by abhoth
that's the way I interperetted (sp) it anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by LindaHewitt
O.K., I'm not going to joke around with you guys anymore! I'm taking my toys and going home!
that's what the friend needs to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Abhoth
Yeah, just haul the box with when you leave....! Pretty sad that folks must consider these options at all.
You didn't mention that your friend had actually told her not to use the computer without asking. May be the 1st time when the roommate asked your friend the roommate thought she asked permission in general instead of a one-shot deal. I am trying not to judge the roommate without really knowing the exact conversation exchanged. She may not be such a bad person after all ... may be it's just a simple case of misunderstanding ...Quote:
Originally Posted by amarok-sookgah
She's on Win98 so we can forget about the user account password idea b/c for Win98 you can simply press the "Esc" key to login without actually typing in the password ... very lame.Quote:
Originally Posted by amarok-sookgah
Actually, Tuttle's suggestion of setting a BIOS password is pretty good. But then again, we are dealing w/ a proprietary machine here, that BIOS option may not be available. If that is the case she may consider 3rd party software like this one: http://www.sys-guard.com/
Or she can simply get a new desk which has a lockable computer tower compartment.
IMO though:
The best way to deal w/ it is simply for your friend to talk the roommate. It doesn't has to be confrontational either ... just 2 adults talking openly and frankly. I gether that your friend avoids to talk to her b/c she doesn't want any confrontation and to hurt her feelings ... but by doing all these stuffs to lock the roommate out may actually cause the exact situation your friend is trying to avoid. Think about it. If the roommate simply misunderstood your friend, then the roommate may feel insulted when she is suddenly locked out. The roommate may ask herself, "Why couldn't so-and-so just talk to me about it?"
I'd have to recommend upgrading the OS to Windows 2000. It usually runs well on machines of Win98 vintage (WinXP does not), and is very secure in comparison to Win98. Although it is possible to defeat the password in Win2000, you have to know where to look on the Internet to find the tools, and it cannot be done in such a way that your friend wouldn't know the PC had been hacked into. Win98 is trivially easy to get into, and cannot be made secure.
BIOS passwords are also easy to defeat unless they're used in conjunction with a lockable case. However if your friend's roommate isn't particularly computer savvy then a BIOS p/w might be effective.
SuperSparks,
Will W2K run with 64 MB or 128 MB of RAM. That is probably as much RAM as is on the machine. Your idea is a good one, if there is sufficient RAM. Even if the upgrade was done, if I were your friend, I would still take the power cord whenever I was going to be away from the dorm room.
Cheers,
Linda
Linda, it will run with 64, but will be a bit slow. It will be happier with 128MB (I ran Win2000 with 128MB when I first got it). 256MB is ideal for W2K, and it wouldn't cost much these days to increase the memory to that.