Lock your Windows using USB Drive.

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Windows Security is the major issue now a days. Although everyone is worried about the security of his windows. Several softwares have been invented to protect data from being theft but either these softwares are very costly or are very difficult to understand. For the convenience of the User a trick has been discovered by me to protect your data from being theft which is "Lock your Windows using USB Drive".
Every body uses his USB Drive to store their data in it. But no one can think that this Small device can protect your PC. Anyways come back to the point, The logic is simple when ever you start your PC it searches for the Boot device which is being saved in BIOS. Your hard disk is assigned as the primary boot device by default. When it founds the device then computer searches for the Boot.ini file which contains the basic necessary Boot Information. So if you can somehow remove/rename the boot.ini file and save it within your USB Drive then you can possibly use this USB Drive as the passkey to boot your PC. This trick currentaly work with the Windows XP only.

Lets get started, First we have to configure the Windows XP to configure it follow the following steps:

1. First open the Folder Options, to open it you need to open any window either My Computer or Any HD Drive. Then Click on Tolls>Folder Options>View. Now simply do the following step mentioned in snapshot.

Uncheck all the Marked Fields

2. As the hidden system files get displayed, you will need to find the following files

• boot.ini
• NTDETECT
• ntldr

3. Copy these files into your formatted USB Drive that you will use to lock your PC. As the files are being copied just remove the USB Drive.
4. After this rename the Boot.ini file to Boot.ini.bak. It will insure the backup of the original Boot.ini file which will be used to Revert back all settings.
5. Now we have to proceed to configure the Boot Priorities in BIOS. To open the Boot Priorities Restart your PC and press the F8 key to enter into your BIOS Settings. Though for some PCs F10,F12 and DEL keys are also assigned for BIOS Settings. If you are not sure about the Keys then you may have to read your Hardware Manual. As the BIOS Settings page opens Proceed to BOOT Priority and assign the USB Drive as Primary Boot Device.
6. Now Save settings and Exit the BIOS Setting Menu.
  
     Restart your PC without inserting the USB Drive, If your PC shows a Boot Error then it means that Boot.ini file is properly Renamed. Now insert the USB Device and Restart the PC. You will see that your PC will run properly same like that as it run earlier.

That's It all every time you have to use your USB device to Run the Windows.

To Revert Back:
To revert back all the settings simply by RUN the Windows and rename the Boot.ini file as it was before. There is no need to change the Boot Priority Settings. That's all remove you USB Drive and restart PC without inserting it.

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