Set Up Parental Controls

By Stephen Bucaro

Microsoft Windows has a feature called Parental Controls that you can use to help manage how your children use the computer. You can restrict the hours that they can use the computer, which specific programs they can run, and which specific websites they can access.

To set up Parental Controls you'll need an Administrator account. For each child that you want to set up Parental Controls for has to have a user account. Parental Controls cannot be applied to an Administrator account. Parental Controls can only be applied to standard user accounts.

To set up Parental Controls for a standard user account:

1. In Control Panel's User Accounts and Family Safety section, click on the link; "Set up parental controls for any user".

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

2. Click on the name of the user account for which you want to set Parental Controls.

3. Under Parental Controls, set the radio button () On, enforce control settings.

4. Once you've enabled Parental Controls for your child's user account, you can configure the individual settings that you want to control. You can control the following areas:

• Web restrictions. You can restrict the websites that the child can visit. Set whether you want to allow file downloads, and set up which content you want the content filters to block and allow. You can also block specific websites.

• Time limits. You can set time limits for when a child is allowed to log on to the computer. Time limits prevent a child from using the computer during the specified hours and, if they're already logged on during restricted hours, they'll be automatically logged off. You can set different logon hours for every day of the week.

• Games. You can control access to games, choose an age rating level, choose the types of games 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 a child from running specific programs that you don't want them to use.

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

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