Password protect settings

[jaffo]

CCleaner is an excellent product but one feature which is missing is the ability to password protect settings. I would like to autorun CCleaner minimised at boot time and if the tray icon is clicked on, it would ask for a password before the settings console is displayed.

[Alan_B]

Useful to protect yourself from doing damage whilst "Drunk in Charge",

but if you want to stop other people doing damage they can cause far greater havoc without using CCleaner.

 

Is it not better to use a secure password for login on to Windows so that no-one else has access,

and if others must be allowed then a separate account with appropriate restrictions so they can do no harm.

[jaffo]

My computers are already set-up with separate accounts with appropriate restrictions and passwords. Are you suggesting just my account is set-up to run CCleaner? I know no real harm can be done from changing any of the settings, but if they are adjusted (by children) then what I set out to be achieve with CCleaner will not be done. It would be far simpler run at login by every user hidden or password protected.

[DennisD]

I've been playing around with this since I first read your opening post.

 

LockThis!:

 

Simple little freeware utility which does exactly what you want, but make sure you don't lock yourself out of anything, and don't blame me if you do.

 

There's a good online help file spread over a few pages.

 

User Manual:

 

 

EDIT: Welcome to the forum by the way jaffo.

[jaffo]

Thanks for that I will give it a go, but it would be nice if this feature was built in at some point.

 

Thanks also for the welcome message.

[Alan_B]

My computers are already set-up with separate accounts with appropriate restrictions and passwords. Are you suggesting just my account is set-up to run CCleaner? I know no real harm can be done from changing any of the settings, but if they are adjusted (by children) then what I set out to be achieve with CCleaner will not be done. It would be far simpler run at login by every user hidden or password protected.

 

My experience with XP Home + SP3 :-

 

If you have CCleaner installed, the settings by default should be held in the user's registry,

in which case even if children change their settings your registry and settings should not be affected.

 

If you have the installed non-default of "Save settings to INI",

or if you use the Portable version of CCleaner which ONLY saves settings to INI,

they should still be prevented from modifying the INI so long as they do not have administrator privileges.

(Assuming that CCleaner is subject to NTFS permissions - different ballgame if it is on FAT32 HDD or a Flash drive.)

 

Alan

[jaffo]

But I would like CCleaner to run when anybody logs onto the machine not just myself.

[Alan_B]

But I would like CCleaner to run when anybody logs onto the machine not just myself.

 

I thought it was obvious.

 

If CCleaner is using the registry it uses the registry of the profile of the user.

Your children or a guest can choose to Wipe Free Space etc and it will not only do so NOW,

BUT IN ADDITION it will remember and use the same configuration the next time that child/guest uses the P.C.

 

If CCleaner is using "Save settings to INI" then they can still change the mode to Wipe Free Space etc and that will happen NOW,

BUT IT WILL NOT BE REMEMBERED after closing CCleaner so long as CCleaner is unable to modify INI,

and by default XP HOME only permits Access for GENERIC_READ and GENERIC_EXECUTE,

i.e. it is not possible to MODIFY.

 

Windows 7 is similar for things in Program Files, e.g.

C:\Program Files>cacls macrium
C:\Program Files\Macrium NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller:(ID)F
                        NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller:(CI)(IO)(ID)F
                        NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(ID)F
                        NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)(IO)(ID)F
                        BUILTIN\Administrators:(ID)F
                        BUILTIN\Administrators:(OI)(CI)(IO)(ID)F
                        BUILTIN\Users:(ID)R
                        BUILTIN\Users:(OI)(CI)(IO)(ID)(special access:)
                                                      GENERIC_READ
                                                      GENERIC_EXECUTE

                        CREATOR OWNER:(OI)(CI)(IO)(ID)F

 

Why not try for yourself ?

 

You can simply log into the Guest account without Admin privilege and change the CCleaner settings

(either more ferocious or the other extreme).

When you log back in as yourself you should find your settings are as you originally had them.

 

Alan

[jaffo]

Thanks Alan, I have had a play and I can see what you are saying. Now my only concern is the registry cleaner, is there anyway to disable it?

[Alan_B]

Your chosen options for registry cleaning will be protected to the same degree as your file cleaning options.

 

If you want to stop others actually using the registry cleaning we have a whole new game to play.

 

You could allow others no access to CCleaner apart from the use of the \AUTO option so they have no GUI to manipulate.

Or you could have ERUNT automatically create a registry backup when Windows starts-up,

and hopefully any damage they do can be undone by you restoring the backup when you next logon - if it ever boots up again ! !

 

Regards

Alan

[Super Fast]

I thought it was obvious.

 

and by default XP HOME only permits Access for GENERIC_READ and GENERIC_EXECUTE,

i.e. it is not possible to MODIFY.

 

Alan

 

I keep forgetting that your using a lower version of XP, Alan.

I have XP Pro. I didn't even mess with the home, because of the features stripped out in it.