Advice needed on adding Windows Password to Admin

[ahhaa]

This is an older Toshiba machine running Vista, its never given any trouble, but I wanted after a general 'tune-up' to strengthen the malware security by adding a password to the Admin (Owner) User. (guest is off)

Well, in typical Windblowz fashion, Vista lets you get right into it and then hits you with a cryptic message:

Create Password for Owner Account

If you do this, Owner will lose all EFS-encrypted files, personal certificates and stored passwords for websites or network resources.

What does this really mean in practice?
Is it talking about the passwords in the Norton 360, in the various browsers, or what?

What happens with the certificates ? Do they restore as you go to websites, or do I need to make a list and go get them?


aaaarrrrgggghhh! (Microsoft is so good at turning a 5 minute job into an unending ordeal)

[jman98]

If you have to ask what EFS is, you are NOT using it, so no worries there. (Does ANYBODY anywhere in the world actually use it? Maybe 1 out of 100,000 people?)

The rest of it is just warning you that if Owner had certificates and passwords that depended on the previous password (which did not exist apparently), those will be broken with the change. So go ahead and add that password.

[redwudz]

Adding a Windows PW won't help a bit with security, IMO, but it will make your PC a bit harder to use, requiring you to input that PW every single time you boot up. It may be a good choice if you have multiple users on your PC, if you don't also give them administrator access. If you do, they can pretty much do what they want.

JMO, but you are wasting your time with a Windows PW if it's security you want and especially if you are a single PC user. I would rather install a good antimalware program and a decent firewall, and you should be safe enough. Windows firewall is anemic at best. Comodo or similar freeware firewalls would work much better.