Childproof a PC?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Spudy
  • Start date Start date
S

Spudy

Hello:

We have a 15 year old son who we want to limit his computer activity
after school, while he's home alone -- before we get home from work.
We used to be able to just use a key to lock the keyboard with old 386
and 486 machines. But they don't make them like that anymore. Now we
have two an AMD 1.2 GHz machines. One is running Win2000 and the other
one has WinXP sp2 on it. Is it possible to "lock" these two pc's?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
Put a password in the BIOS startup and do not tell him what it is.
With out the password, he cannot start the computer.
 
If these computer are not running all the time, use the bios and set a
password but this could be defeated by clearing the CMOS by the use of
jumpers. So when the computer is turned on, it will prompt you for a
password during the post.

If the vomputers are always running, use a screen saver with a password with
the combination of a bios password, so if he tries to restart the computer
to gain access he will have to know the bios password in order to boot into
Windows.

I know there are other ways, but this one suggetion.
 
Spudy said:
Hello:

We have a 15 year old son who we want to limit his computer activity
after school, while he's home alone -- before we get home from work.
We used to be able to just use a key to lock the keyboard with old 386
and 486 machines. But they don't make them like that anymore. Now we
have two an AMD 1.2 GHz machines. One is running Win2000 and the other
one has WinXP sp2 on it. Is it possible to "lock" these two pc's?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...

As other respondents said, you can apply a BIOS password,
a screen saver password or a logon password, but if he is
inquisitive enough then he can get around all these measures.
In other words: If someone has physical access to a machine
and if he has the right knowledge then you cannot keep him
out.

You could, of course, install your hard disk in a caddy, e.g.
a Mobile Rack. They cost only $10..$20. When you're
away from home then you put the disk into your safe. This
will work until he gets his own disk and loads his own
operating system and applications . . .
 
Spudy said:
We have a 15 year old son who we want to limit his computer activity
after school, while he's home alone -- before we get home from work.
We used to be able to just use a key to lock the keyboard with old 386
and 486 machines. But they don't make them like that anymore. Now we
have two an AMD 1.2 GHz machines. One is running Win2000 and the other
one has WinXP sp2 on it. Is it possible to "lock" these two pc's?
Click to expand...

A pc to a teen is what the phone was to you when you were a teen. Did
your parents
lock the phone on you?
 
Plato,

Only when I made prank phone calls, get it?

Drew

Spudy said:
We have a 15 year old son who we want to limit his computer activity
after school, while he's home alone -- before we get home from work.
We used to be able to just use a key to lock the keyboard with old 386
and 486 machines. But they don't make them like that anymore. Now we
have two an AMD 1.2 GHz machines. One is running Win2000 and the other
one has WinXP sp2 on it. Is it possible to "lock" these two pc's?
Click to expand...

A pc to a teen is what the phone was to you when you were a teen. Did
your parents
lock the phone on you?
 
I agree with Plato. Why lock a 15 year old out of the pc? Most kids these
days who have families that can afford one have one. I let my 12 year old
girl have my pc when I upgraded to a new one and hooked it up in her room on
my network. She had internet access. The worst thing she looked at was a
Spice Girls web site.There are programs you can get to monitor his internet
activities if you feel you must. Now she is 18 has computer skills that have
surpassed mine. She has learned some HTML, Networking, Video and Music
editing and so on. Skills that may come in handy when getting a job or doing
school work. Plus for me it kept her in the house most of the time instead of
out on the street getting in trouble. In my opinion the price of your kid
learning how to use a computer now is priceless. My advice would be to buy
yourself a new kick azs computer and give this poor kid a pc in his bedroom
so he can "be a kid" in the new Millenium. Just my 2 cents.
 
Spudy said:
Hello:

We have a 15 year old son who we want to limit his computer activity
after school, while he's home alone -- before we get home from work.
We used to be able to just use a key to lock the keyboard with old 386
and 486 machines. But they don't make them like that anymore. Now we
have two an AMD 1.2 GHz machines. One is running Win2000 and the other
one has WinXP sp2 on it. Is it possible to "lock" these two pc's?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q308418

HOW TO Use the Internet Explorer 6 Content Advisor to Control Access
to Web Sites in Internet Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310401

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp

For some requirements, you may find it easier to invest in a
3rd-party solution, such as NetNanny or CyberPatrol.

You need to be aware, however, that *NO* technical or software
solution is fool-proof, and _none_ can ever adequately take the place
of live parental supervision. If you cannot trust your son to safely
use the computer without supervision, you may have to consider limiting
his use of it, by means of a BIOS password.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Spudy said:
Hello:

We have a 15 year old son who we want to limit his computer activity
after school, while he's home alone -- before we get home from work.
We used to be able to just use a key to lock the keyboard with old 386
and 486 machines. But they don't make them like that anymore. Now we
have two an AMD 1.2 GHz machines. One is running Win2000 and the other
one has WinXP sp2 on it. Is it possible to "lock" these two pc's?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q308418

HOW TO Use the Internet Explorer 6 Content Advisor to Control Access
to Web Sites in Internet Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310401

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp

For some requirements, you may find it easier to invest in a
3rd-party solution, such as NetNanny or CyberPatrol.

You need to be aware, however, that *NO* technical or software
solution is fool-proof, and _none_ can ever adequately take the place
of live parental supervision. If you cannot trust your son to safely
use the computer without supervision, you may have to consider limiting
his use of it, by means of a BIOS password.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Plato said:
A pc to a teen is what the phone was to you when you were a teen. Did
your parents
lock the phone on you?
Click to expand...

If I or any of my siblings abused or misused our telephone privileges,
we were certainly punished and prohibited from future use, until such
time as we demonstrated that we had learned our lesson. You see, just
as the use of the telephone is *NOT* a "right" or an "entitlement," so
is the use of a PC. I pity the child that grows up without discipline
and abhor the so-called parents who refuse to teach their children
responsibility.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Hello:

We have a 15 year old son who we want to limit his computer activity
after school, while he's home alone -- before we get home from work.
We used to be able to just use a key to lock the keyboard with old 386
and 486 machines. But they don't make them like that anymore. Now we
have two an AMD 1.2 GHz machines. One is running Win2000 and the other
one has WinXP sp2 on it. Is it possible to "lock" these two pc's?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...

How about proper parenting? When I was growing up, if my parents set
boundaries I knew when NOT to cross them. Does this child not know
his boundaries?
 
How about proper parenting? When I was growing up, if my parents set
boundaries I knew when NOT to cross them. Does this child not know
his boundaries?
Click to expand...

Windows XP let's you create login hours for a particular account. Give him
his own account and restrict the hours he can use it. I don't believe this
is available in Win2K so just don't give him access to that machine.
 
Windows XP let's you create login hours for a particular account. Give him
his own account and restrict the hours he can use it. I don't believe this
is available in Win2K so just don't give him access to that machine.
Click to expand...

A warning about this method: it won't kick off a user that is already
logged on if it's outside their hours of restriction. It only
restricts them from logging on during the restricted times.
 
NobodyMan said:
How about proper parenting? When I was growing up, if my parents set
boundaries I knew when NOT to cross them. Does this child not know
his boundaries?
Click to expand...
This is not a chat room on "proper parenting" last I checked.

--
hermes
DRM sux! Treacherous Computing kills our virtual civil liberties!
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/index.html
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html
http://anti-dmca.org/
http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/unintended_consequences.php

Windows XP crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams
 
Do you know if XP Home edition does have such feature? I have been looking
for that and was not successful.
 
parent said:
Do you know if XP Home edition does have such feature? I have been
looking for that and was not successful.
Click to expand...
Hi

You could take a look at the program "1st Security Center":

http://www.1securitycenter.com/

<quote>
The powerful feature "User Working Time" allows you to limit working
time for your children , office colleagues , students and so on. You
can define several time intervals and time durations to manage users
working time very easy.
</quote>


The application in the link below is a lot more limited, but it can
e.g. force a logoff/shutdown at a set time or after a time duration
(but it looks like this is computer based and not user based):

Aye Shutdown
http://www.ayesoftware.com/asd/
 
Do you know if XP Home edition does have such feature? I have been
looking for that and was not successful.
Click to expand...

I can't say as I don't have access to XP home. I found this with a Google
search:

Subject: Setting Restricted Login Hours on XP Standalone System

I recently had to contact Microsoft Tech Support for assistance on this so
I wanted to post the article on the web incase someone else had this same
issue.

Situation: You want to restrict the logon days / times of a user account
in XP and are a standalone machine.

Reason: You may wish to restrict teens who arrive home before adult
supervision from accessing your broadband always on connection, limit
employees to only work hours access etc..

Steps:

To Set restrictions:

Click Start
Click Run
Type cmd in the run box and press enter.
The following is a sample of what you would type:
net user testuser /times:M-F,5pm-9pm; Sa,6am-9pm;Su,6am-9pm

Where testuser is the local account name.

To Remove Restrictions:

Click Start
Click Run
Type cmd in the run box and press enter.
The following is a sample of what you would type:
net user testuser /times:all

Where testuser is the local account name.

I hope someone else finds this useful as I did.

Ken Foster
 
Hi

Note that the procedure below will not log off the user when times up.
 
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