Mom Needs Help with Teenager overriding Password

unifex said:

gregrocker said:

The only way I know that she can break your strong password is if she has put a keylogger on the machine. Do you have tight enough control over the installed programs to know that this hasn't been done?

Well, we have rules at the Forum that prohibit discussion of such things and I personally am no expert, but ... if someone is knowledgeable and determined and has physical access to the computer in question, nothing can be done to stop them. No key-logger is necessary. It's a game of determination - you may try new tricks and hope that they give up, deciding that it's not worth their effort, but apart from that ... Let's be honest, all the advice about passwords and parental controls implicitly assumes that the daughter is a beginner as far as computers are concerned. Is that really so? No offense to the OP, but it certainly looks like her daughter knows more about computers than she does. So it's a losing battle she's fighting here.

This is clearly a parenting issue and the real solution lies outside of the realm of passwords and encrypting. I think the OP has to understand clearly what is it that she wants to achieve. What she wrote so far - and we know nothing else - she's trying to prevent her daughter from using the Internet. I don't think that can be done by setting a password, since she can always go to a friend, neighbor, or a library, making all these efforts futile.

Thanks for your input and I read every word just thought windows 7 form could help some, however you are correct it is a parental issue yet a scary issue. I may have to take the advice of one of the members and purchase Windows Ultimate but in the mean time. I have just taking down the desktop and taking my laptop where ever I go:). I ve also learned how to take down my network so that helps. Again thanks for all of your input I really do appreciate it.

unifex said:

I might be the only one to dissent here, but I would ask this question: why do you want to forbid your daughter to use the computer in the first place? Is that really working out for you? And even if you throw away your desktop, so there won't be any computer in the house for her to use, how can that preclude her from going to a public computer in any library, internet cafe or her school?

If you want to keep her away from certain dangerous web sites - which would be the only reasonable goal here in my opinion as a parent (no offense) - you'd have to blacklist the IP addresses of the sites and then encrypt your system drive with a strong password. If she can go around this - which is certainly possible - then I'm afraid there is nothing you can do except to talk to her and explain the dangers you're trying to protect her from. You might of course use the "physical" methods to prevent her from using the machine - remove the cords, drives, etc., but just remember that yours is not the only PC in the neighborhood.

Otherwise, just to sort out the technical part of the issue, I do agree that you have to tell us which passwords your daughter is circumventing (and why do you think IE temp folders have anything to do with it).

Unifex no offense taken, bottom line here is bad grades no internet no computer. Making her a standard user and only allowing her to use word was not working as she was overriding it going to websites that were blocked in parental controls. I have no idea why ie temp folders would have anything to do with it I just assumed that if something was deleted on my end then perhaps she could not override the system. Whatever the case I have just decided that if she has a school project she can go to the library that should assist me. Thanks for all of your feedback I really appreciate it !

suggestion get k9 web protection and put it on the highest lvl possible. then even if she does get on the computer going ton the internet will not be possible. K9 is freeware and I use it on my 1 machine.It works amazingly well and you can hide the install file in another file so she can't find it. It's password protected so unless you use the same password for everything she can't turn it off or change the settings. K9 Web Protection - Free Internet Filter and Parental Control Software | Free Internet Filtering and Parental Controls Software

Supermom --

As an IT Tech Support Specialist, we use several utilities here that allow us to bypass pretty much any form of password protection, whether it is BIOS passwords, or Windows Passwords. If she has access to utilities such as these, which unfortunately are sometimes quite easy to find on the internet, it really doesn't matter which version of Windows you are using. The utilities will bypass all of these pretty readily.

You may need to go with a hardware solution such as one of the USB Key methods, or possibly invest in a biometric solution such as a fingerprint reader or facial recognition (which are increasingly being added as features to new laptops).

I've recently helped out my in-laws by locking down their network for their teenage son. Granted, he doesn't appear to be as computer savvy as your daughter, but he does have his own PC which I've restricted in the router by MAC address to only allow access during certain times, and to approved sites and applications. With no access to the router, he has no way of overriding the settings.

This may be an option as well. However, if you all use the same PC, the restrictions will have to apply to all users, so that may not be as attractive of a solution. But it is one way to get around the computer password issue. She may get into the PC, but not able to go anywhere online that you don't want to allow...