USB flash drive to protect your computer

Use your USB flash drive to protect your computer

Predator is a free tool that turns any USB flash drive into a key that you can use to lock or unlock your PC, preventing other people from gaining access to your computer in your absence.

Using Predator to protect your computer is both simple and fast. Just insert the drive you want to use and enter a password. Once it is running, use your PC as normal and then simply unplug the drive to lock it. Once it is removed, the keyboard and mouse are disabled and the screen darkens. No one will be able to use your computer. To unlock it, just reinsert the drive and keyboard and mouse are immediately released, and the display is restored.

It’s easier and faster than closing your Windows session, since you do not have to retype your password when you return.

Predator has some advanced features too to add to the security.

• It records all security-related events in a log file: start, alarms, stop, so you will know if anyone has been trying to access your computer while you were away.

• It frequently changes the security codes recorded on your USB drive. If an intruder manages to copy your stick, this copy will not work because the codes on your own stick will have changed in the meantime.

• It disables the Windows task manager when you unplug the USB drive. Nobody can stop it with Ctrl-Alt-Del.

• What if lock your computer and you lose your flash drive? When you start the software for the first time, you set a password that will unlock your session if your USB drive is not available.

• It can sound an audible alarm if somebody enters an invalid password.

• It can protect several PCs with the same USB flash drive, e.g. your home and office computers.

Download Predator

Access another user Account with Admin rights

Lost your Windows password? Here’s what you can do to get around

Due to the security features built into Windows XP, it is virtually impossible to get back into the system without the password.

You have several options to try and get around this problem.

If you have access to another user account with administrator rights, you can use that account to change the password of the account that is locked out. You can also use the default Administrator account that is built into Windows XP.

First you need to boot the system into Safe Mode.

1. Restart your system.
2. When you see the blue screen, press the ( F8 ) key about 3 times a second.
3. You should get the Windows startup menu. Use the (Up or Down) arrow keys to highlight (SafeMode).
4. Press (Enter) on (Safe Mode), then press (Enter) on (Windows XP).
5. The system should boot to Safe Mode.

Once you are at the Account Log on Screen, click on the icon for the user account with administrator rights, or click on the icon for the administrators account.

Note: For Home the Administrator account isn’t normally shown & in Safe Mode you have to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys twice to show. For PRO you can do this in normal mode

When the system has booted to the desktop, use the following steps to change the accounts password.

1. Click Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools.
2. Click Computer Management.
3. Double click Local Users and Groups, double click the folder Users.
4. Right click on the account name that is locked out, and click on Set Password.
5. You may get a warning message about changing the password, simply click proceed.
6. Leave the New Password box blank, also leave the Confirm Password box blank.
7. Click OK, and OK again.
8. Then close all Windows, reboot the system and try to log in.

There are also applications that can recover the password for you.

If the above information does not help in recovering the password, the only option left is to format the hard drive then reinstall Windows and the system software.