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Possible Duplicates:
How can I make my mom's Windows PC bullet-proof?
How can I quickly reset the computers in my cyber cafe to a default state?

I am giving a computer to someone who is notorious for breaking everything they touch, and I would not like to go over there every week to fix it. So what are the best ways to make a computer unbreakable? To be specific, I don't want them to be able to do things like;

  • change network settings
  • remove anti-virus
  • install applications

The only solution I can think of so far;

  • do not install a hard drive and boot Ubuntu off a CD.

Ideally I would let them do whatever they wanted, and every time the machine is switched on it will reload the OS from a "pristine" copy.

Community
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Nippysaurus
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6 Answers6

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Don't grant administrative (aka 'superuser' or 'root') rights to the user. Make them a regular user. Ubuntu does this by default, Windows XP and Windows 7 also support this.

This will limit the user's ability to install software which could break the system or allow malware into the system.

Stefan Lasiewski
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2

Couldn't you put it in a locked cabinet or something?

Jack
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Microsoft Window SteadyState looks like a fairly good candidate for making Microsoft Windows resistant to changes.

Nippysaurus
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Have you thought about installing vmware player with the browser appliance?

http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/507083

You can even set it up to reset to a baseline every time it is restarted.

You could also consider treating the system as a kiosk. This is described here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiosk_software

Mark Irvine
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Back up using Acronis True Image and save to another drive. Even if Windows breaks you can still restore from an image

SuperGirl
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If you are looking at a linux distribution, most will suffice as they need sudo privileges for the package manager and to change network settings. While antivirus is not nearly as necessary for linux, for a user with minimal knowledge, it is still recommended. Honestly, just avoid windows. Even with anti-virus software, it takes little time for a windows system to be compromised in one form or another. I know that statement is highly subjective, but for a user prone to breaking things, it will likely be true.

MaQleod
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