How to Keep Your Children From Destroying Your Computer

July 2005

Without good preventative measures, children can bring a functioning computer to its knees in a matter of minutes. Children are a leading cause of viruses, spyware, and adware being installed on computers. Children download programs, play games, and tinker with computers. Questionable programs and changes to settings can slow down your computer or disable important functions. Irreparable damage can be done to your operating system, files, and settings.

How can you keep your children from destroying your computer? Read below to learn several ways to protect it without denying your children the privilege of using a computer.

1. Article - Allowing Use While Preventing Abuse
2. Article - How to Set Up a Limited User Account
3. Suggested Products for Protecting Your Data

Allowing Use While Preventing Abuse

You love your children and you want to provide them with the opportunity to use a computer - but you also do not want them to destroy your computer or ruin your data. How can you let your children use your computer without allowing them to destroy it? Here are some ideas:

Ways to Allow Children to Use a Computer Without Destroying It:

1. Establish a limited, separate account for the children to use.
   Windows allows you to establish separate user accounts that can be given to different people. Each account can have its own password, and you control each account's level of access to your computer's resources. This allows you to establish a separate, limited account for your children. For example, you can prevent your children from having the rights to install software on your computer or change system settings. You can also deny access to your personal folders so that your children cannot destroy them.
   
   Creating separate accounts does not lock you out of these accounts or prevent your from monitoring your children's use of the computer. You can always access any account you create because you are the administrator and you can change the passwords again later, even if your children change their password. See the article below to learn how to create accounts and reset passwords.
   
   
2. Set rules for acceptable computer use.
   Talk to your children about what constitutes appropriate use of the computer. Set rules and consequences for breaking those rules with your children. Some ideas for rules include: limits on how long they use the computer, what programs they are allowed to use, where their files will be saved, and what they are not allowed to change on the computer. Put the rules in writing and post them near the computer. If your children break the rules, enforce the punishments that you agreed upon when you made the rules.
   
   
3. Obtain a separate machine for your children.
   If you feel you will not be able to control access to your computer, you may want to purchase a second new or used computer. Using a second machine for personal finances, online banking, and online shopping is a good way to control your personal data and to help prevent identity theft.

How to Set Up a Limited User Account

One of the best ways to allow your children to use your computer without destroying it is to set up a limited user account for the children to use. Follow the steps below to set up a limited user account for children and to protect your computer.

Steps to Set Up a Limited User Account (in Windows XP):

1. Open the "Start Menu."
2. Open the "Control Panel."
3. Double click on "User Accounts."
4. Click on "Create New Account."
5. Enter a name for the account (e.g. "Kids" or "Sammy") and click "Next."
6. Select the "Limited" radio button at the top.
   
   Step 6 is important if you want to prevent your children from installing software or changing the settings on your computer.
   
   
7. Click "Create Account." You will be taken back to the "User Accounts" screen.
8. Click on the account you just made (e.g. Kids).
9. Click "Create a Password" and enter a password for your children's account.
   
   If you need to block your children from using their account (like when they are grounded for computer misuse), you can simply change this password without telling them the new password.
   
   If your children change their password, you can use this procedure to change their password to something you know. This way, you can always monitor what they are doing with their account.
   
   
10. Click "Change the Picture" to change the icon that represents your children's account.

Other Important Tasks to Protect Your Computer

After you have set up a limited user account for your children, you will want to take these steps to protect your computer and data:

1. Change the password on your user account.
   You need to make sure your children cannot get into your account to install programs, change settings, or accidentally ruin data. Change your user password to something that your children do not know and will not be able to guess. Do not use family names, birthdays, etc. Choose a combination of letters and numbers that is at least 8 characters long. Do not write your password down so that your children will not be able to find it.
   
   
2. Make sure your files are in directories that aren't shared.
   If your files are in shared directories, your children will be able to access them from their account. You can check to see if a folder is shared by right clicking on it, going down to "Properties," and going to the "Sharing" tab.
   
   
3. Set up a screen saver and password-protect it.
   You need to set up a screen saver with a password so that your children will not be able to use your account if you leave your computer while it is logged in to your account. To set up a screen saver, right click on your desktop, go down to "Properties," and click on the "Screen Saver" tab. Select a screen saver from the drop down list, set your desired "Wait" time, and then click "On resume, display Welcome Screen." This means that if your screen saver comes on, your children will be taken to the log-in screen and asked for your password if they try to use your user account.
   
   
4. Periodically back up your data.
   Despite all your preventative measures, it's still possible that your data will be lost or destroyed. Backing up your data periodically will reduce your losses.

Suggested Products

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