Use Parental Controls in Vista to Protect and Monitor your Kids Online and Off
By Jonathan Schlaffer
Not only is Vista the most visually pleasing operating system to come from Microsoft, it is also the most secure but see Free Security Software for Vista to protect your system from various online threats. Vista is also a parent friendly (or kid friendly, depending on how you look at it) operating system. Vista allows parents and guardians to control exactly what their kids do, do not do and when they do it.
Vista can create several account types but for your child you will want a Standard User account, this is the default setting for new accounts in Vista. To create it go to Control Panel and then Parental Controls, click “Create a new user account†and give the account a name. Once it’s created you will be able to select several options.
If the Account settings window doesn’t immediately appear you can access it by going to Control Panel > Parental Controls and clicking the account name will take you to that page. First, turn Parental Controls on and leave Activity Reporting on. Now it’s time to adjust website settings, game ratings, program permissions and time limits.
Go to the Vista Web Filter, here you can set a predefined restriction level or set your own permissions. If you wish to set your own permissions, click Only Allow websites on the allow list, then click Edit the Allow and block list, here you will be able to set which websites are allowed and which are not. There is also nothing wrong with using a predefined rule set either but it’s usually more accurate if you set up a block and allow list yourself.
Time limit allows you to set day(s) and time(s) that your children will be allowed to perform their activities and access the computer and their account. It’s simple enough, click and drag the mouse across the grid to set it.
The games section allows whether or not games can be played and if they can, which ratings are allowed. Everything from Early Childhood to Adults Only can be selected, appropriate age groups accompany each level. Also, types of content can be blocked from games, such as “blood and gore†or “language†and more options are available.
Allow and Block specific programs, allows that user to use all programs or use a list of specific programs only. Select “Only use the programs I allow†if you want to set a specific list.
With all options set accordingly, you will now be able to use the Activity Monitor under their account to see what they are up to online. Blocked Programs, games, websites and anything else you don’t want them doing will be recorded (and blocked) if they attempt to use or access it.
There are also a number of third party options such as Content Protect 2.0, Safe Eyes 2006, Web Root Child Safe or K9 Web Protection. K9 Web Protection is free to home users and is the only free option in the bunch. If you are looking for a free option, K9 is the way to go, if you want the paid option, you will not do better than Safe Eyes 2006 (which won PC Magazine Editors’ Choice). All programs listed here are compatible with at least Windows Vista and XP.
Further tips include keeping your child’s computer (or the family computer) in a public place of your home so it’s easier to keep an eye on what they’re doing. With these tools in hand, it is up to you (the parent) to protect your child online up to a certain age so please use the tools in Vista to do so (or choose one of the third party options), they are provided for a reason.
I suggest that your child not have a laptop or if they do that it is not kept in their room. It is easier to keep track of what they are doing on a desktop than a laptop though all those programs can be installed and used on a laptop (even if they do complain about it).
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September 11th, 2007
man, fuck u all with ur bitch ass parental controls
kids deserve to look at whatever the fuck they want. ur all a bunch of dumbasses