Strengthen Windows XP password security two strokes

        How did you set a password for Windows XP? Create a password just in Control Panel → User Account! Maybe you think that the passwords and digits you set are enough to reject the "novice" outside the system, but you will not refuse to leave it outside the safer password rules? What's more, these rules don't require third-party software, and these rules can be operated with just a few mouse clicks and a few values.

Closer to home, the definition of a more secure password rule is the system's "local security settings" tool, you can activate it by typing "secpol.msc" in "Start → Run". In the tree on the left side of the main window, expand Account Policy → Password Policy. The password rule we want to define is the option displayed in the right panel (as shown in Figure 1)!
First double-click "Password must meet the complexity requirements", set the security setting to "Enabled", then the password created by the user in "Control Panel → User Account" must contain uppercase and lowercase English, Arabic numerals and special characters. Three types of characters. If one of the characters is not included, a dialog box will pop up.

minimum password length (Figure 2): the user creates a minimum digit of the password, enter digits between 0-14, 0 indicates no detection requires a password created. Once the password created by the user does not meet the required number of digits, the system will also pop up a dialog box warning.
The longest password retention period (as shown in Figure 3): This option is more interesting. It is the expiration time of setting the password, that is, the new password that meets the requirements must be replaced within the specified period. Of course, setting it to 0 means that the password is never invalid, and the longest cycle time is 999 days.
The minimum password retention period (as shown in Figure 4): As opposed to the "maximum password duration" option, which sets the minimum time for the password to survive, during which time the user is not allowed to change the password. Similarly, set to 0 to change the password at any time, the maximum time a password can survive is 998 days.
Enforce password history (as shown in Figure 5): Frequent password changes will inevitably result in multiple different passwords, and the system will help you "remember" the passwords you have used, and the number of passwords you can remember. It is up to you to "tell" the system. 0 means no password reservation history, the system can only help you remember 24 password history, the original system memory is also limited ^-^.

Use a recoverable encryption for all users in the domain to store passwords: To ensure password security, it is recommended to disable this feature.

clear concrete meaning and scope of each option, we have the flexibility to customize password rules, and the author here to provide a reference scenario: Enable password complexity requirements, minimum password length is eight characters long, mandatory password After the history is set to 0, the longest (short) retention period of the password is determined. Generally, the longest retention period is set to 2 to 3 times of the minimum retention period. If the maximum retention period is set to 30 days, the minimum retention period can be set. For 10 days, this is more reasonable.

Renaming the system administrator account

Windows XP default system administrator account name is "Administrator" (the so-called real system administrator account), many system experts recommend users This account is password-set because the account is hidden under normal system status. In the safe mode, the account appears in the login screen. If no password is set, of course, you can use the password. Into the system. In "Local Security Settings", we can rename the system administrator account name, expand "Local Policies → Security Options" in the left tree, and double-click "Account: Rename System Administrator Account Administrator" in the right panel. A new system administrator account can be entered in the pop-up window (as shown in Figure 6). However, after several tests, the new system administrator account name cannot be the name of the currently logged in administrator account. Otherwise, the “Failed to save local policy database” error dialog box is displayed.

In fact, as early as when you install Windows XP system, create an account nickname does not allow for the Administrator and Guest name, if you and I, like, want to use the "Administrator" Account nickname, you don't have to enter any characters in the account nickname at this time, directly cold start the system, after restarting, Windows XP has skipped the account nickname step, log in directly to the system with the Administrator account