Windows Vista has a built in feature for parents to control and log the activity of their children. Every parent has their own definition of what is acceptable; fortunately Vista helps address this issue. You can enforce custom policies to meet your needs.
Parental Controls monitors and enforces the Internet, time restrictions, games, and allows or blocks specific programs. To get to Parental Controls, go to User Accounts and Family Safety in the Control Panel. Here, you can turn on or off Parental Controls, and then access the settings into each part of Parental Controls.
Windows has their own levels of protection, from high, to low. However, Windows has custom settings for parents who want to get more specific. For an example, you can block games based on content, rating, or title.
It must be noted, that the Parental Controls are enforced on standard accounts, not administrative accounts. This is another main reason why Microsoft recommends to use standard accounts for daily use, and only use administrative accounts when you absolutely have to.
When using this built in feature, you can monitor and enforce the computer usage effectively of your children.
Jon Brengle
A+, Network+, MCP Certified
