Well with brain-dead XP home you can't do this, but you can with pro:
Set rights on the folders of the programs you want locked out to a
"games" user, keep the account's password from the kids & log them in to
when they can use them.
A more alarming problem is the need for some games to have full admin
rights to run. The old C&C games seem to work this way. I had my GF's PC
locked down to keep the kids out and she had to switch to letting them
in as admins to play the games. Have to look into either experimenting
with granular rights until I get the right match or an admin-like
account that can't log in but can run apps with runas.
As to being able to reboot the PC to get around Logo-L, there is the
Syskey method where you need a password or key floppy on each boot. In
fact this is as good as removable drives IMHO. It also keeps them from
booting the machine at all w/o adult interaction.
Eventually I think every home should have a DC w/ all PC's as members
because you have more control over use of them system. Child been bad?
Revoke the login permissions. Using the machine during homework hours?
Limit login times & force logoffs during the black-out periods. Yes it
requires the adults to know more, but then that is needed to begin with
since the kids know too much! I suppose you could automate certain
restrictions on/off toggle to a shortcut on the adults desktop.
Chris Reeves wrote:
I think the reality is that's an insanely easy option to beat.
Like many people, this is a person with 3 teenage boys. Pressing Win-L to
get a lockdown will lockout some accounts, but this computer belongs to the
kids, she doesn't use it, she just wants them locked out of playing
games/etc. when they have schoolwork to do, so she wants to make sure that
they have to "ask" and she has to "know" when it's usable. I get this
request a lot.
Putting a Win-L keylock on it is a "eh" solution, because a hard reset and
them logging into another account gets around that every time. The kids all
have their own logins so they can install software, etc.
Limited accounts is something that has some functionality; but it doesn't
stop people from actually using a PC to begin with. Which is the whole
point. A keylock used to prevent people from even booting.
Since their PC is all SATA, I'm really thinking that the removable tray is
going to be the best option.
