I want to restrict what users can do on a shared pc, eg. stop them accessing a second HDD, deleting system folders/files, changing desktop, changing internet home page, etc... Looks like XP only allows basic restrictions, like making certain folders private but I suppose there's software out there to manage this access. I only need to manage 3 users. Any recommended SW please ? Thanks.

I want to restrict what users can do on a shared pc, eg. stop them accessing a second HDD, deleting system folders/files, changing desktop, changing internet home page, etc... Looks like XP only allows basic restrictions, like making certain folders private but I suppose there's software out there to manage this access. I only need to manage 3 users. Any recommended SW please ? Thanks.

Use Linux

Perhaps a more sensible suggestion to changing your OS would be to look at setting policies on the local computer. Check out the Group Policy Object Editor. You can add it in as a snap in into your Management Console Start->Run MMC | File -> Add remove snap in | Select Group Policy Object Editor.

Googling for lock-down-how-to's with this tool is probably your best bet for finding the solution you require.

Hope that helps

Previous poster makes a good suggestion, but it requires some work, it's easier by using Microsoft's shared pc toolkit, which is a free utility and can be downloaded

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/...ss/default.mspx

They have renamed it to Windows steadystate.

Create a guest account - limits what they can do. (normal user ect)

Create a guest account - limits what they can do. (normal user ect)

Agree.

Create a guest account - limits what they can do. (normal user ect)

Agree.

Creating a guest (limited) account alone will not prevent a user from "accessing second HDD, deleting system folders/files, changing internet home page..." that the OP specifically required.

Windows SteadyState fits the bill nicely, although it extends the time my PC starts-up by a good minute. Thanks for the help.