Windows XP Professional User Management and Security

Windows XP Professional Edition is the replacement for Windows NT4 and Windows 2000,
and offers therefore the same level of User Management and security as Windows NT4 and
Windows2000.

You have a choice : You can keep it simple with just 2 levels of Security and use in the
Control-Panel : "User Accounts":

This is the simplified user management as in the Windows XP Home Edition, allowing
the definition of Users and Password (for usage, see the XP Home Edition ).

To be able to use all feature of the Windows XP Professional Usermanagement,
select in the Control-panel :
"Administrative Tools" :

User Management is part of "Computer Management" :

Select in the tree-view on the left : System Tools / Local Users and Groups / Users :

	Double click on a Username to display Details: Tab: General The security system of Windows XP Professional defines in the policies the enforcement of password changes after 42 days. to avoid to be forced by your computer to have to change the password, you can select here that the "Password never expires"
	tab: Profile (will be explained later )
	tab : Member of When Windows XP Professional is installed, a predefined set of user groups , each with different level of permissions, is installed on your system. By being a member of a user-group, a user has the permissions as defined for the group. A user can be member of MULTIPLE groups, getting the permission of each user group. All Users are automatically member of the usergroup "Everyone", which is NOT listed here. Therefore, if there is for a user NO Usergroup listed, then this user is still allowed all items, which are defined for the usergroup "Everyone" For more details on permissions and assigning permissions, see User Policies. To become member of an additional usergroup (to get additional permissions), click on the button "Add.."

	If you know the name of the usergroup, you can enter it, otherwise use the button "Advanced..." to get a Lookup.
	When working on a large network, you would have a very long list of items, so you can define here first a search criteria. for home use and small networks, just click on "Find Now" to get the display of Usergroups. Select the one to be added. To know, what permissions are assigned to a Usergroup, see the Local Policies.
	The full name of a usergroup includes the name of the computer, where the usergroup is defined.
	This user is now member of 2 Usergroups , having now the combined permissions of both usergroups.

The installation of Windows XP Professional has created a predefined set of User groups,
with different levels of permissions :

You can create additional usergroups and then assign permissions to them using policies.

A special word of warning : it is possible to set the password for a user from Computer Management:

But this feature seems to be reserved for cases, where a user has forgotten the password and
the administrator needs to defined a new password.

	This warning is displayed. Let's check for more information by selecting "Help":
	If a user-account has NO password, or you like to change it, please use in the Control Panel the "User Accounts" to change passwords (same as on using XP Home).

What is the impact of not being a member of the group Administrators ?

	In the Control-Panel, select the Network Connection icon: (or right-click "My Network Places" on the desktop and select Properties) A Warning is displayed
	and the buttons for modifying the network components are grayed out.

A "Limited" user (not being member of the group Administrators ) is NOT able to create
a new Connection (like a modem or ADSL connection to the Internet), this has to be done as
"Computer Administrator" : as a user being member of the usergroup Administrators
(or another usergroup, if it has the permission for such activities defined in User Policies)

You can select at that time, whether
the Username and password for
the connection will be used by
all users accounts on the system.

If you have only one user defined with a password, then no Logon screen will be shown.
Once multiple users are defined (or only one user with a password), Windows XP will display
on startup the Logon screen :

You MUST identify yourself, first by selecting the Username by clicking on it and (if required)
having to enter the password for the user account.