Hisroty/temp files

[Guest]

Hello, i was wondering how i get into my computer to check out what sites,
and what my son and daughter is doing on my computer! i know they figured
out how to delete there steps on the history and temp internet files. i know
there is another way to get in and see exactly what is going on but i cant
figure it out...just a concerned mother trying to nip this in the bud!!!!
there is alot of crazy things out there!!!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Hello, i was wondering how i get into my computer to check out what
sites, and what my son and daughter is doing on my computer! i know
they figured out how to delete there steps on the history and temp
internet files. i know there is another way to get in and see exactly
what is going on but i cant figure it out...just a concerned mother
trying to nip this in the bud!!!! there is alot of crazy things out
there!!!

Unless you install some monitoring software - then anyone can cover their
tracks on a given PC if they have enough power on that PC..
(Or just physical access/time and know-how.)

 

[Galen]

In pinballwzrd55 <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Hello, i was wondering how i get into my computer to check out what
sites, and what my son and daughter is doing on my computer! i know
they figured out how to delete there steps on the history and temp
internet files. i know there is another way to get in and see exactly
what is going on but i cant figure it out...just a concerned mother
trying to nip this in the bud!!!! there is alot of crazy things out
there!!!

As Shenan mentioned, if they deleted them from the history files and you
don't have any monitoring software it's unlikely that you'll even be able to
recover the data with recovery software. There's a couple more places to
check I suppose... What you MIGHT be able to do is to check your firewall's
logs. Depending, I use Outpost so it's there for me, the DNS is saved in
there and that's a location they're likely to forget to clean. You said you
"know there is another way to get in..." I've been doing this for a long
time and if they delete the history and cookies then it's unlikely that you
will. One thing you can do (and this isn't going to be as complete as the
history itself really) is you can open IE, click on tools, options, and then
click the settings button on the General tab under Temp. internet files.
They may have not deleted those.

I don't have the right to give you parenting advice so please understand
that I'm not trying to do so and am only informing you of your options. If
you're concerned with your children's online activities you can assign them
restricted accounts, use the content advisor, monitor their activities with
various bits of software, limit their log-in times to when you're there to
monitor them personally, or instill high values of what is and isn't safe
for them to do as the internet is capable of being a dangerous place.
Personally I would much rather the values as software can almost always be
fooled and the other methods don't offer nearly as much protection as we'd
hope. (Of course getting kids to listen is much easier said then done. I
know because, well, I was a kid... *nods* Sometimes I think of all the times
I didn't listen that well, funny how when we're grown with kids of our own
we finally see that they really did have a point when they told us not to
run with knives, stick our tongue to the flagpole, or jump on the bed.)

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Shenan Stanley]

As Shenan mentioned, if they deleted them from the history files and
you don't have any monitoring software it's unlikely that you'll even
be able to recover the data with recovery software. There's a couple
more places to check I suppose... What you MIGHT be able to do is to
check your firewall's logs. Depending, I use Outpost so it's there
for me, the DNS is saved in there and that's a location they're
likely to forget to clean. You said you "know there is another way to
get in..." I've been doing this for a long time and if they delete
the history and cookies then it's unlikely that you will. One thing
you can do (and this isn't going to be as complete as the history
itself really) is you can open IE, click on tools, options, and then
click the settings button on the General tab under Temp. internet
files. They may have not deleted those.

Nice catch Galen..

I forget that I have setup all routers (Cable/DSL) that I have setup for
people to email their logs to some address once per week.. Those logs show
traffic that went through the router.. So if the OP has a router, they may
be able to do the same.

 

[Galen]

In Shenan Stanley <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Nice catch Galen..

I forget that I have setup all routers (Cable/DSL) that I have setup
for people to email their logs to some address once per week.. Those
logs show traffic that went through the router.. So if the OP has a
router, they may be able to do the same.

Yeah, and that's kind of the point. We (most of us) have forgotten about
that. I can't remember the last time I deleted my DNS history in my
firewall for instance. I dare say I seldom do it at all. Sometimes you can
get a bit of a clue from the cookies as well if those weren't deleted. You
can at least get a domain name though these days (with so many companies
using third party domains for tracking or ads it's hard to tell) from some
of them.

Anyhow, the birds are waking up which means it's time for me to sleep.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes