this page describes how to use automatic logon on windows xp.... but clearly this gets over the point of having a password protected account.... what i want to happen is tht the account is loaded in the background....  somehow like when you pressed (win)+L keys after loading an account.... the account is there running in the background,, and u need a password to get into it,, and you can optionally logon into another account....

is there any built-in, or 3rd party tool that can enable that?! i cannot allow passworded admin account to be there for anyone to use it.... yet i want it to load automatically without the need for a password (as i said, started in a locked state)

I guess you could have it logon automatically, and have a program run at logon which will do WinKey+L or it's own kind of protection to stop the account being used, or, not have the account as admin, or not let dodgy people near the computer.

I found this lil software on Google, u might want to check it out.

LockGear Pro

I might do what u need

i'd do it by putting adding "rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation" to my regestry values for startup in my profile, then log in automatically.

if you want to try it you can make a new text file and put this in it:

code:

---

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

"LockWorkstation"="rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation"

---

the registery trick seems cool,, and the program also does serve the job... but are they easily breakable?! like a key combination to bypass startup entries... or can i rely on them?

to that extent i dont know, people may get to use your computer untill it gets through all the startup items, it would be my preferred way but not nessisarily the most reliable, i personally dont like running many programs, which to me a lock program would be just using resources.

i do think tht the registery way is much cleaner, bcuz after u lock the machine on startup there is no need for a process to keep running.... also locking the computer didnt give more than few seconds to the user.... but sometimes there are key shortcuts to skip startup items, so im not sure if the startup was designed for security measures!