Windows 7 user management on a standalone pc

I just rebuilt my laptop after being infected and after reading through wilders as well as some online guides I think I'm running a much more secure system. However I was wondering if I should create a second user with lower permissions, or if I was fine continuing with the user account created during the install? I am the only one who uses this machine and it's not in a network. I've upped UAC to alert on all changes, but would I be better off creating a second user?

 

I suppose others will come and say you're fine, but I'm from the opinion that with the introduction of Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced a very nice way to work from the comfort and security of a standard/limited user account. Whenever you need to perform some administrative task, simply elevate using UAC.

So, if I were you, I'd create a secondary, standard user account and do all my tasks there.

I actually go beyond that. I have different standard user accounts for different tasks. I have one for general web browsing, one for accessing my e-mail and one for file creation, such as CV, etc.

If you knew me, you'd know I like this kind of separation. I even separate all of my different "types" of browsing! My Chromium web browser folder is ~600MB! This way I can tweak the different profiles, the way I want, by playing around with Windows MIC (Mandatory Integrity Control).

 

-edit-

Which Windows 7 version have you got? If you have Windows 7 Ultimate, you could play around with AppLocker. Or, you could use SRP (Software Restriction Policies).

If you have a lower Windows 7 version without Group Policy Editor (without it, there won't be AppLocker (at all) and no easy way to work with SRP), you can still use SRP, either by "hacking" the registry or using a tool from a user of this forum (Sully), named PGS - Pretty Good Security.

Search the forum around. Those matters have been discussed before.

 

Thanks for the reply m00nbl00d, I'm actually a fan of compartmentalizing things in general so doing that with user accounts makes sense. As far as which version I'm using, it's Windows 7 Home Premium.

 

You're welcome.

Considering you're using Home Premium, then AppLocker is out of the equation. But, you could give Software Restriction Policies a try. Unfortunately, that Windows version doesn't have a native graphic user interface to handle SRP. But, as I mentioned, user Sully came up with a tool (free tool) that provides that functionality. It's actually very good, from what I could when I tested it, quite some time ago.

Unfortunately, Sully's website is down. I no longer possess the application's file either. You could try and send a PM to user Kees1958 and point him to this thread. Maybe he has it, as I remember he helped a lot with that tool.

You could also try to look around in Google/other search engine, but unfortunately there won't be a proper way of knowing if it's 100% clean.

Sully's been away for quite sometime now, but you could try to send him a private message and hope he answers at some point.

I truly hope that you'll be able to get PGS. It's a nice tool.

If you want to read about it, you can do it so here https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=244265

 

PGS can be downloaded from here: http://www.downloadplex.com/Windows/System-Utilities/Other/pgs-pretty-good-security_399216.html.

Seems that Sully has posted it there

 

great! Thanks much for the link!