Hardening windows vista / 7

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I stumbled into a blog post about simple yet effective ways to improve windows security:

http://bulletproof-windows.blogspot.com/

Things like sandboxing and data execution prevention can really save the day in addition to running your user in standard user instead of administrator. Please be aware that using the instructions you CAN mess up and render your computer non-working.

This happens very easy if you degrade your user to standard user before you create another administrator account. Do NOT do it without creating a separate admin account first. You have been warned!

[gyrene81]

Nice find Ripley. 

There is already a built in Administrator account that since Win2000 does not have a password set, although most people don't know how to get to it. Doesn't show up under the user accounts settings in the control panel. It was used in previous versions of Windows as a back door for malicious file execution and hacking since a majority of home users weren't generally aware of the account existing, and the account name is always Administrator. I generally put a password on the account and rename it to something I can remember without having the word Admin in it at all. It's also a good practice to create at least one other full administrator account that can be used for emergency purposes.

[Denholm]

I discovered that "hidden" administrator account in safe mode. Certainly came in useful when one of my friends had his user accounts hijacked.