A different partition for guests?

OK guys, here's the scenario... I have this computer that I use at home to do designs and client work on but I also have my girlfriend's family who likes to come over and use this new fangled thing called The Internet on a cable modem. I have spent a lot of time and energy keeping my system fat-free, virus-free, trojan-free and running at peak performance. I back-up my work regularly and have udpated Norton Ghost images but I am paranoid that one of these guys is going to check their e-mail or do something stupid like install some spyware program that a Website asks them to install and cause me some kind of unintentional grief. Being a greedy bastard and denying them access to my computer completely wouldn't sit well with the girlfriend, so I need to find an alternative.

I am wondering if it's possible to set up an additional Win98SE partition on my computer that is specifically for them to use? I am also wondering if viruses or spyware can affect other partitions? And finally, how do I set it up so that *my* partition is only accessable to me via a password and how do *they* access their partition? Password also?

Thanks for any help.

If you had Windows XP you could just setup a seperate user account for every person that users the computer. Then they could choose it from a list. And you could limit their permissions so that all they could do is check email and start internet explorer or whatever. Too bad you don't have xp....

If you made two partitions like that, I guess it would work... but it's kind of overkill. Plus they would have to reboot the computer completely every time they wanted to get on.... Which would probably do more damage than downloading a spyware program.

Dek is right. Use profiles and give them limited permissions.

And yes. A partition is great for cetain things but not this. Because your win folder is still on your primary partition. Meaning if they do install something/ even on a different partition/ the reg files will still go into the primary. So your idea would be defeated...

...or you could buy a new computer for yourself with the latest giga-whassit processor, install a broadband router, and network the puters so they can trash the old system anytime they want.

Go get XP. There you really can be in charge of what they're allowed to do. You, as an administrator, can control them and their options on the machine.

Or just, as a the wealthy graphic designer you are, go buy them a 386 with internet connection :-)