xp setup help

[4play]

Im trying to setup an xp install for my younger sisters to use without me having to come up there every week to fix it.

I have done the usual of installing all the latest patches, a firewall (outpost), an antivirus(symantec corp) and got them to start using firefox.

I have decided this time instead of giving one of them an admin account (as they tend to just all use it to save time) I will just give them all poweruser status and see if they can break it. Will making them power users help against adware, spyware or will it become an annoyoance for me to keep having to go there to install something for them as admin priveledges is often needed?

what advice would you give me to protect a bunch of clueless users against themselves?

[harrycary]

turn on automatic updates for all software, especially if they have a broadband connection.

limited accounts will help with drive-by installs but Firefox will cure that to.

If you've got XP Pro then remote desktop should be used for helping them in times of need.

[Chewie]

If you've got XP Pro then remote desktop should be used for helping them in times of need.
Remember that Remote Desktop requires that Windows Messenger be installed on both computers.

[Boogieman117]

Use RealVNC then.

Hopefully, their exterior IP is the same.

[4play]

all the remote desktop apps are pants to say the least. Even over 100mb lan i get a terrible picture.

I was really looking for a way to make xp usable for average poeple but not give them enough control to completly bork the box. From what im reading around the net it seems pretty much impossible to do.

how the hell do you change file/folder permissions on windows for starters?

Im gonna set them up a ubuntu box for a laugh and see how well they do with that. At least then i can ssh into the machine and update, maintain the machine and fix problems for them without them knowing.