Windows 7 - Parental Controls - Setup and Use

   Information

You can use Parental Controls to help manage how your children on a Standard user account use the computer. For example, you can set time limits on the hours that your children can use the computer, the types of games they can play, and the programs they can run.

When Parental Controls blocks access to a game or program, a notification is displayed that the program has been blocked. Your child or Standard user can click a link in the notification to request permission for access to that game or program. You can allow access by entering your account user name and password information.

Parental Controls is verified to be available in all editions of Windows 7.

   Note

Web restrictions and activity reports are not included in Windows 7 Parental Controls like they were in Vista. You can still restrict the sites a standard user account can visit and see reports of their online activity by adding a service provider in Windows 7 Parental Controls, such as Windows Live Family Safety.

   Tip

To help prevent your child or standard user from circumventing your Parental Control restrictions, you should make sure that all administrator accounts have strong passwords created for them. You should also enable the built-in Administrator account and create a strong password for it as well. This way they cannot use the built-in Administrator account to try and bypass Parental Controls as well.

   Warning

• If the computer is connected to a domain, then parental controls will not be available for it.
• Parental Controls can only be setup while logged on to a administrator account.
• Parental Controls can be applied only to standard user accounts.
• For Parental Controls to work, it needs to have the Parental Controls Service set to its default setting of Manual.

1. Open the Control Panel (All Items view), and click on Parental Controls.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. Select and click on the listed standard user account that you want to turn Parental Controls on or off for. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you do not have a standard user account listed, then you will need to create a new standard user account first.

4. To Turn Off Parental Controls for the Selected Standard User

A) Select (dot) Off, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

B) Go to step 6.

5. To Turn On Parental Controls for the Selected Standard User

A) Select (dot) On, enforce current settings. (see screenshot above)


B) Once you've turned on Parental Controls for your child's standard user account, you can adjust the following individual settings that you want to control:

• Time limits - You can set time limits to control when children are allowed to log on to the computer. Time limits prevent children from logging on during the specified hours. You can set different logon hours for every day of the week. If they're logged on when their allotted time ends, they'll be automatically logged off.
• Games - You can control access to games, choose an age-rating level, choose the types of content you want to block, and decide whether you want to allow or block unrated or specific games.
• Allow or block specific programs - You can prevent children from running programs that you don't want them to run.

C) When done changing the Windows Settings, click on OK.

D) You will notice that the selected standard account will indicated that Parental Controls have been turned on for it. (see screenshot below)

6. Close the Parental Controls window. (see screenshot above)