If you are in charge of a computer used by some different people, you will have found yourself formatting and reinstalling it from time to time to clean it from everything the users have installed, voluntarily or involuntarily.
In computers located at Internet cafes, public libraries or school the risk of being infected by spyware or viruses is very high, as they are used by people who, sometimes, are not very knowledgeable about security. So copying files from them or accessing important sites from there can be very dangerous.
Microsoft has released Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP which makes it easier to manage this computers in a secure way. The main features of this toolkit are Windows Disk Protection, User restrictions and Profile Manager.
Windows Disk Protection clears the changes made to the hard disk when the computer is rebooted so, if it gets infected with a virus it will be deleted next time you turn the computer on. You can also define some zones which must not be cleared, for example where the users save their documents.
User restrictions allows the creation of user profiles in an easy way, so you can give different sets of permissions to the different users or groups of users who must use the computer. For example, you can disallow the use of unauthorized software or set timers which limit the time a user can be logged on.
With Profile manager you can create permanent spaces which will not be cleared by Windows Disk Protection, where the users can save data.
This is a good solution unless you have a large number of computers, because the control is not centralized. In that case it will be better to use Active Directory and Group Policy. It will also allow you to test software in your own computer without fear of destroying important data.
To use Shared Computer Toolkit you will need a legal copy of Windows XP, as you must pass the Windows Genuine Advantage validation. You will also need 5 MB of space in your hard disk and a NTFS file system.
For more information and download you can go to Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP.
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