Windows 10 Parental Controls?

Zarathustra[H]

Extremely [H]
Joined
Oct 29, 2000
Messages
38,743
So,

I have decided my stepson needs some additional oversight when it comes to his computer usage.

In Windows 7 and 8 there were built in parental controls I could use to prevent use outside of hours I disapproved of. This was a great feature.

Apparently now, you need to have several Microsoft accounts to make this happen. One for the parent and one for each kid, and then you set the controls online thought your Microsoft account ???

First allow me to vent for a second. This is a bloody outrage. Another cheap trick Microsoft is trying to try to force people into creating Microsoft accounts. Well I refuse. No computer on my network will ever be tied to anything but an account that exists solely on the local machine.

Now that I have that out of my system, is anyone aware of any alternatives? Are there any third party applications that can behave like the old parental controls in Windows 7 and 8 with the use of local account only?

I'd appreciate any suggestions.
 
There are tools


Try open DNS

To generally engage internet filtering for free and you can pay (cheap) to customize or run reports
https://opendns.com

For porn concerns
https://x3watch.com/

You can limit their local accounts to non admin and use ie's trusted sites.

If it's tablet or phone control sometimes the vendor has software like kindle playtime or your ISP or Cell Carrier may provide family protection options.

Some AV software packages can offer family protections.
 
If the kid won't have access to porn at his own computer, he can see it through the cell phone of his own or any of his many friends. My 13 year old daughter told me that there is a refugee boy in her class that watches porn daily - in the class using his mobile.
 
If the kid won't have access to porn at his own computer, he can see it through the cell phone of his own or any of his many friends. My 13 year old daughter told me that there is a refugee boy in her class that watches porn daily - in the class using his mobile.

Geezus! Really?

When I was at school the Nintendo Game & Watch with Donkey Kong was still a pretty neat idea...
 
If the kid won't have access to porn at his own computer, he can see it through the cell phone of his own or any of his many friends. My 13 year old daughter told me that there is a refugee boy in her class that watches porn daily - in the class using his mobile.

Porn isn't the major concern. It's obviously an uncomfortable subject, but its not usually something you stumble across unless you are looking for it, and if he starts looking for it, then no one is going to stop him. Heck, I'm not old enough that I don't remember being a teenager. He is 9 years old though, so I don't think we are there yet.

I'm more concerned with enforcing usage times, so he doesn't sneak up at night when he is supposed to be getting sleep, to play games, and stuff like that. Sleep is very important for kids, and unfortunately he has given us reasons to have to enforce this type of behavior. (Nothing I hate more than sneaky behavior)

Secondly, really, in class? They are even allowed to keep their phones in class? If I were a teacher, phones would not be allowed in my classroom at all, ever, for any reason. Completely powered off and put away (not just silent or airplane modes, , powered off) or they lose them and parents have to pick up the phone at the principals office. That would be my philosophy.
 
Yeah, buying a Windows server license and having to set up a Windows Server Domain Controller VM just to restrict logon times really isn't an option.

I want local machine only controls.

I'm researching third party software that can be installed on the machine and accomplish this.
Ever taken a shot at setting up Samba as an Active Directory controller? I've never done it, so I don't know how much of a whip it would be. Looks to be a bit of documentation, wikis, and blogs about it now compared to when I last googled about it. Maybe worth looking through.
 
Secondly, really, in class? They are even allowed to keep their phones in class? If I were a teacher, phones would not be allowed in my classroom at all, ever, for any reason. Completely powered off and put away (not just silent or airplane modes, , powered off) or they lose them and parents have to pick up the phone at the principals office. That would be my philosophy.

Yep and because he's a refugee, it's not politically correct for anyone to say anything also. This world...

The kids are supposed to keep their phones at least silent during classes but naturally that doesn't always happen. And then there's between the classes...
 
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