Provides an interface for managing users and passwords, as well as the groups (XP professional only) that they belong to. Groups in Windows 2000/XP are simply an easy way of assigning or restricting rights and privileges to various aspects of Windows to multiple users.

For example, if your computer is used by many people, you could ensure that other users do not have the ability to access most system configuration options simply by adding their user names to the default 'users' group. This group is restricted from installing most software and using system applications. Moving the users over the default group also removes the individuals from all other groups, especially the administrators group which has unlimited access to the system.

Custom groups can also be created with desired sets of privileges and restrictions. As for the users window, it is simply a list of all user accounts currently created, including ones created by the system. There will likely be some accounts here you do not recognize, especially if you are using XP Professional.

WindowsXP Professional comes with Microsoft's web server software (IIS - Internet Information Server), which creates the 'IUSR- (yourcomputername) account to allow anonymous remote users to access web pages you create.

While you are here, do yourself a favour and assure that the 'guest' account is disabled, as it is essentially useless and a potential security hole. Also ensure that your 'administrator' account and all user accounts are equipped with passwords.

Make sure of this last step as both XP Home and Professional make users created as part of the installation process, members of the 'administrators' group, but do NOT give them passwords. Yikes!

Storage Management

The storage section of computer management consists of three sections, but only one is of any real significance. Removable storage is simply a list of your removable storage devices like tapes, floppies and CD-ROM drives, and any media that is currently present in them.

Disk defragmenter is the hard drive defragmentation utility, also accessible from the 'system tools' submenu under 'programs/accessories.'

For more information about disk defragmenter, see PCSTATS Annual PC Checkup guide. The important entry is the 'disk management' window.

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