Keep Your Computer Safe From Your Kids

A customer recently brought in a computer that was running slow and stated that her kids had installed all kinds of games and other programs on it.  This week, she told me that the computer is working much better, and she also stated that she was only letting her kids use it when they were supervised.  I told her that it was possible to create a separate user account for her kids that would stop them from installing any programs without her permission.  When I told her that I would write out instructions, I thought that this would make a great subject for a tip.

Windows comes with the ability to create several different types of accounts.  By default, most accounts become Administrator accounts.  Administrator accounts have full permission to use the resources of the computer (unless the user is blocked by other means).  Standard User accounts have permission to use most of the resources on the computer, but not to change them.  This means that standard users cannot install programs, delete system files, or change settings without entering an administrative password.  There are a few other types of users, but these are the two types you will need to know.

My suggestion was to create a password-protected administrator account for the adults and a second standard user account (which may or may not have a password) for the kids.  Here is how you would set this up:

Windows Vista/7:

1) Log in with an administrator account.  If you are not sure if an account is an administrator account, we will check that in a minute.

2) Go to the Start Menu and choose Control Panel.

3) Choose "Add or Remove User Accounts" under "User Accounts and Family Safety".

4) Check the account you logged in under and see if it says "Administrator" underneath.  If it does, continue.  If not, log out and log back in under an account that does say Administrator.

5) If the account is already has a password, you may skip this step.  If your account does not have a password, select the administrator account, and then choose "Create a password" in the next window.  Do NOT skip this step!  If you do not have a password on the administrator account, anyone using the standard user account will be able to perform the tasks of an administrator with one click.

6) Click the back arrow in the top-left corner to go back to the original screen.  Then, select "Create a new account".

7) Type in an account name (such as "Kids") and be sure to select "Standard user".  Then, click "Create account".

Windows 8/8.1:

1) Log in with an administrator account.  If you are not sure if an account is an administrator account, we will check that in a minute.

2) Go to the charms bar and select Settings -> Control Panel.

3) Click on "Change Account Type"

4) Check the account you logged in under and see if it says "Administrator" underneath.  If it does, continue.  If not, log out and log back in under an account that does say Administrator.

5) If the account is already has a password, you may skip this step.  If your account does not have a password, select the administrator account, and then choose "Create a password" in the next window.  Do NOT skip this step!  If you do not have a password on the administrator account, anyone using the standard user account will be able to perform the tasks of an administrator with one click.

6) Click the back arrow in the top-left corner to go back to the original screen.  Then, select "Add a new user in PC settings".  In the new window, select "Add a new user".

7) Follow the prompts to create either an online Microsoft account (by linking it to an email address) or a local account (by selecting "Sign in without a Microsoft account").  By default, the account will be a Standard User account unless you change it to administrator.

Now, when your kids log in with the standard user account, they will be asked to enter an administrator password if they attempt to install a program or change a setting.  If they want to install a legitimate program, they will only need to get you to enter the password for your administrator account.

Creating a separate account for your kids also gives you the opportunity to enable parental controls on the account.  I will address this in tomorrow's tip!