Parental controls for Windows 7

Windows 7 built in parental control is a simple way to control what your kid(s) can or cannot do on the computer. Windows 7 parental control can the limit the amount of time your kids are on the computer, what games they can play, and what programs they can run.

Here’s how to use the parental control for Windows 7:

Log in as Administrator.

Click on the Start button or Windows Orb thingy if you want to get technical.

Click “Control Panel”.

Select “Set up parental controls for any user”.

Choose the user account you want to set up parental control on by clicking on it. The user must be a “Standard” user only. You can also create a new user from this window by clicking on “Create a new user account”.

This is the parental control settings where you can turn it on or off. From the settings page you can:

• Set Time Limits on the computer to prevent kids from logging on during certain hours like when no adults are home.
• Control the kind of games your kids can play by either blocking specific game ratings or specific games.
• Block or allow which programs your child can use.

Tip: If it’s possible put the computer that the kids use in a high traffic area of the house like the living room. Kids will avoid doing a lot of things if they think someone might be watching.

Note: I’m using Windows 7 RC version here so features may be added later when Windows 7 does officially come out in October. In Vista there are additional settings like web filtering, and activity reports which can be turned on.

For more check out Microsoft Parental Control page.