Does Microsoft Windows have any parental controls?
It depends on which version of Windows you have. If you have Windows Vista, then yes, your computer has a set of built-in parental controls. These controls allow you to manage how your children use your computer.
For example, you can restrict access to certain types of Web sites, control the types of games your children play, limit computer time, and block or allow certain programs from running.
In addition to configuring your computer for your child’s use, Windows Vista Parental Controls also generates activity reports so that you can see exactly how your children have been using the computer. You’ll be able to monitor Internet and computer usage by enabling parental controls, restricting usage, and viewing reports regularly.
To enable Windows Vista Parental Controls, go to the Start button, click on Control Panel, and then click on the Parental Controls icon. You will need to be signed on your computer as an administrator as well as have a secondary user account for your children. For example, you can’t set up Parental Controls for yourself. You’ll be prompted to create a new user account if your computer only has the single Administrator account.
Also, if your Administrator account does not have a password, you will be prompted to create one. Otherwise, your children can simply log on as an Administrator and disable Parental Controls.
Once you have selected an account to monitor, you can turn Parental Controls on as well as decide whether or not to collect information about computer usage through the Activity Reporting option. From there, you can fine-tune your Windows settings including the Web filter, time limits, games, and programs.
The Web filter lets you select from preset levels such as high, medium, custom, or none as well as block or allow specific web sites. Another nice feature is that you can block downloads. Blocking downloads helps prevent your children from inadvertently downloading spyware or Trojans attached to screensavers, free games, and other frequently downloaded goodies.
In order for Parental Controls to be effective, you must insist on each family member having their own private user account. If you have a shared computer, it’s easy to forget to log off. As the Administrator, you must remember to never leave your computer unattended while you are signed on. It only takes a few seconds for computer savvy kids to find their way over to the main Parental Controls window and make a few stealthy changes.
If you do not have Windows Vista, you can still implement Parental Controls by using third party software. ParetoLogic’s PGSurfer is an excellent, completely free, alternative to Microsoft’s built-in product. PGSurfer also adds chatroom blocks, Instant Messaging blocks, e-mail, and peer-to-peer file sharing.
