Computer Passwords

[Madeline]

Ok, I was wondering if some of you computer nerds can help me out. I always lock my work computer before I leave to go home, to unlock it is only accessible by password as you all know. Well, this morning it was unlocked...this happened to be several times in the past. I think the computer guys are screwing me. What's going on???

Love,
Madeline

[kevinmiller]

A couple of things...

When you "lock" it, do you mean you are logging out or you have a password on your screensaver?

Either one is easy enough to get around. They can boot up in safe mode and log on as an Admin if it is not password protected(which it often isn't) or they can just restart your computer in the case of the screensaver. There is also a program you can download and run before booting into Windows that allows you to change the Admin password even if you don't know the old one. But they probably wouldn't take the time to do all that. :wink

[loyaldefender]

If you lock your pc and someone powers it off and then turns it back on, It will be unlocked. That may not be what is happening, but that will do it. Powering it off by holding the power button in until it powers down or just unplugging it. Once you restore power it will go to the regular login screen.

[Madeline]

A couple of things...

When you "lock" it, do you mean you are logging out or you have a password on your screensaver?

Either one is easy enough to get around. They can boot up in safe mode and log on as an Admin if it is not password protected(which it often isn't) or they can just restart your computer in the case of the screensaver. There is also a program you can download and run before booting into Windows that allows you to change the Admin password even if you don't know the old one. But they probably wouldn't take the time to do all that.

Nothing complicated here. I simply press (ctrl+alt+delete) and hit "lock," and only I can unlock it again by hitting (ctrl+alt+delete) and entering my password. I do this all the time before I leave from work. I understand that the Admin can log on with their password, but I don't think they can access my desktop. And I don't use a screensaver.

[Madeline]

If you lock your pc and someone powers it off and then turns it back on, It will be unlocked. That may not be what is happening, but that will do it. Powering it off by holding the power button in until it powers down or just unplugging it. Once you restore power it will go to the regular login screen.

With the computers here at work, when you power it off and turn it back on the the window always appears prompting me for my user ID and password. My own desktop cannot be accessed unless I enter my personal password. Hope this makes sense? sorry if I'm not.

[loyaldefender]

Is your desktop loaded when you get to work or is the login screen up for you to login to your desktop?

[kevinmiller]

When you say the window appears prompting you for your user id and password, do you mean the welcome screen? Or do you actually have it locked so that it can't boot up without a password, which doesn't require a user id?

[Madeline]

Is your desktop loaded when you get to work or is the login screen up for you to login to your desktop?

The login screen always appears in the morning when I arrive at work. But this morning it didn't appear, my desktop was unlocked. This has happened to me before and the computer guys insult my intelligence by telling me that I forgot to unlock it. Which btw is ludicrous because I always do.

[Madeline]

When you say the window appears prompting you for your user id and password, do you mean the welcome screen? Or do you actually have it locked so that it can't boot up without a password, which doesn't require a user id?

I have it locked so that it can't boot up without a password, the desktop that is. It always requires a user I.D and a password.

[kevinmiller]

Oh, well that's easy to get passed. So you're saying that you are logged on when you get to work? You need to find what id was used to logon.

[Madeline]

Oh, well that's easy to get passed. So you're saying that you are logged on when you get to work? You need to find what id was used to logon.

The only way I can log on is to enter my User ID in addition to my password. So each morning I enter my User ID and password to access the desktop screen with my own personal desktop icons. How can anyone access my desktop with my own personal desktop icons and programs unless they know my password? They may know my User ID, but my personal desktop cannot be accessed by User ID alone. Does this make sense?

[kevinmiller]

So it is logged in as you? You can check by clicking on the start menu and it will show you who you are logged on as. I mean, if they can log on as Admin, they could remove your password if they wanted to. But that wouldn't explain how you had to enter it again and it works. If you are on a network, they could log on as any user on the network. There are a lot of different things it could be...

[Madeline]

So it is logged in as you? You can check by clicking on the start menu and it will show you who you are logged on as. I mean, if they can log on as Admin, they could remove your password if they wanted to. But that wouldn't explain how you had to enter it again and it works. If you are on a network, they could log on as any user on the network. There are a lot of different things it could be...

Yes, it was logged in as me. I am 100% sure! Yes I am on a network, but I didn't know that the network admin can log-in as any user. But in order to log on as any user, they would still need the users passwords, no?

[Alen]

If your computer is being accessed, not much you can do about it if it's the admins. I am assuming they would know your password, as most companies issue you your password, which is handled by the admins.

The only thing you can do is probably change your password, that would fix it, assuming they do not have monitoring software on your PC. If you are absolutely sure that they are fiddling with your PC I would approach them and ask them what is going on.

Oh, and by the way, a faster way to lock your PC is to press the windows key (the one between the ctrl and the alt key on the left hand side) , and L at the same time (e.g. windows key + L).

-Alen

[kevinmiller]

Yes, they would have to have the password. Are you on the network when you come in and you are logged on? Or are you just logged on to that computer? Is your password something that could be guessed pretty easily?

...yeah, what Alen said too. We need lots of info. :wink