Good day, friends! As you know, the Internet is filled with all kinds of information, but, unfortunately, not always useful. At the same time it uses global network the whole world from small to large. And as a result, adults worry about their children, who can easily stumble upon content harmful to their psyche. Therefore, our article today is dedicated to parents, and in it we will tell you how to set up parental controls in Windows 10.
What are parental controls in Windows 10?
We remind you that the parental control feature is free. It allows you to protect your child from visiting unwanted sites, installing programs and games that have age restrictions. You can also set a timer for using the gadget. Plus, parental control guarantees that the child will not delete system files, which directly affect the proper operation of the device and will not fundamentally change the settings.
Is there a difference between parental controls in Windows 10 and previous versions of this system? Yes. And it is obvious! The situation has become more complicated due to a couple of innovations, namely: you can set parental controls in Windows 10 only if you have the Internet and a Microsoft account. And nothing else.
How to create a Microsoft account for a child?
If you are a Microsoft user and have your own account, then this will not be enough. You will need to create a new one account, but for a child. How to do this?
You will also be asked to activate Microsoft Advertising, which will distribute advertising based on your interests. We advise you to decline such a request.
When a new child account is created, you need to log in under this account so that when you log in, you will be the first to receive a message from the notification center, which will say that “adult family members can view reports about your activities” (about the child’s actions). This message is only displayed during your first login.
The actual settings for restrictions or timer settings are made on the Internet through an administrator/parent account.
How to set up parental controls in Windows 10?
After this, a window with settings will appear, of which there are quite a lot. Let's take a quick look at each.
Do you need parental controls in Windows 10? Conclusion
It is worth noting that, despite all the efforts of the parent to protect his child from unnecessary information, such manipulations rarely stay afloat. The fact is that children now know how to use the Internet very well, and it will not be difficult for them to turn off parental control.
The conclusion is this: there is no need to limit, you need to explain and talk with the child about what he is interested in, what he wants to find, what he wants to look at and why he needs it. And everyone will be happy!
By the way, many antiviruses provide parental controls. We will write about this later. In the meantime, we offer you to read the article “”. Also don't forget if you want Windows to run faster.
Did you read to the very end?
Was this article helpful?
Not really
What exactly did you not like? Was the article incomplete or false?
Write in comments and we promise to improve!
Parental Controls in Windows is a built-in function of all Microsoft operating systems, with which parents can organize their child’s work at the computer, prohibit the use certain programs or websites and view PC activity statistics.
The function will be useful in any family, because you will always be aware of how much time the child spends on the computer, what sites he views and what games he plays. One of the main parental control options is setting the PC turn-on time. You can prohibit your child from turning on the computer, for example, after six in the evening. As a result, he will not be able to log into his account.
Parental Control Features in Windows
Using the standard control option, parents will be able to:
- Track all the actions your child performed on the computer. What programs did you run and how long did they run? The system provides the PC administrator account with a detailed report on children's accounts. This way, you can get the most complete picture of the child’s interaction with the computer over the course of a week or month;
- Parental controls on Windows computer allows you to install game programs, taking into account their age restrictions. The child will not even suspect the presence of an active control function. During the game installation process, the system will automatically check digital signature installer, which contains the name of the game, developer company and age limit. If the age is higher than what you allow, the application will not be installed under the guise of a system error;
- Full control over your browser, search engines and various web resources. Monitor the history of your child’s activity on the Internet, limit the use of sites whose descriptions contain the keywords you specified;
- Limiting time spent on the computer. Set a time period during which the child can turn on the computer. After the required time has elapsed, the gadget’s operation will be automatically completed. This option will allow the child to organize his daily schedule and help him get used to limited sitting at the computer without constant requests from parents to turn off the device.
Creating Password Accounts
Before setting up parental controls in any of the Windows versions, you need to create two accounts on your computer - for you and your child. If the parents’ account does not have a password, the child will be able to easily bypass all the restrictions set by logging in as an administrator.
The child's account does not need to be protected with a password. Without entering a code word, it will be easier for the account owner to start working with the computer. Just click on your profile photo and wait for the desktop to load.
Follow the instructions to create multiple system users in Windows 8/10:
- Open the Start menu and click on your profile photo;
- Then, in the drop-down list, click on the “Change account settings” field;
- In the window that appears, go to the “Family and other people” section;
- Click on the “Add family member” button;
- Then go to the mode of adding a child account and follow the instructions of the installation wizard. After completing the procedure, two accounts will appear on the computer – yours and the child’s;
To set a password for a user record, click on his photo and select “Access Password” from the list. If the administrator account is linked to Microsoft service Online, the access password is the password associated with the account email.
Instructions for Windows users 7:
- Go to the control panel and select the “Category” view mode;
- Click on the “Accounts” field, and then on the button to add a new profile;
- Set a password for your account and for your child's page. In Windows 7, this is done by simply clicking on the user's photo and entering the code word in the settings. There is no connection to the Microsoft Online service.
Setting up a function in Windows 7 - how to enable it
Parental controls in Windows 7 support the following options:
- Limiting the time the computer is turned on;
- Setting up a list of allowed programs;
- Limitation on the operating time of games.
To enable control, make sure that a child account has been created on your computer. Then open Control Panel and select the User Accounts box. Select an administrator profile.
Check if a password is set. To view documentation about parental controls from the OS developer, click on the field indicated in the figure below.
Any additional profiles will be displayed under the admin entry. Click on the child's entry, in our case it is the Tester icon. Next, a window will open with additional information.
In the “Selecting Allowed Actions” section, enable parental controls.
Now you can begin to restrict the work of the second user. The above window displays a set of options that you can change. The first of them is setting the computer operating time.
You only need to mark the time range during which you will be allowed to use the PC. Settings can be made for each day of the week. Click on the white square to change its color. Blue color means that the child will be able to work on the computer during this time.
To select several cells at the same time, hold down the left mouse button and select the desired period of time.
The next function is setting up work with installed games. Here you can prohibit or allow the inclusion of gaming applications, set the allowed age rating, or manually select those installed on your computer from among the games installed on your computer. Which the child can turn on.
Notice! If an application does not indicate its rating, it will also be blocked from the second account.
To save the settings, click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the screen.
If you have installed on your computer pirate games, it is recommended to configure access to applications manually, since these programs will not be displayed in the window for selecting the allowed age limit.
To verify that all settings are correct, be sure to test all functions yourself. Try to turn on a prohibited program or game. If necessary, double-check that the settings are correct.
Setting up parental controls in Windows 10
Parental controls in Windows 10 support even more features and functionality. The innovation that the developer launched is an option to control purchases in the Microsoft store. Parents can set the maximum purchase amount and age limit. Thus, a child cannot buy a game that is intended for a certain age.
In total, there are 5 software categories in the application store, divided by age:
- 6+ years;
- 12+ years;
- 16+ years;
- 18+ years old.
Create a child account as described above and set a password for the system administrator page. Now you can start setting up parental controls.
Immediately after creating a new account, log in using its name and check whether it was really created in the “Child” category. Also, you can customize the desktop design and add to it all the shortcuts necessary for your child’s work. This will allow children to get to work faster and not have to look for necessary programs across all system folders.
To manage your child’s account settings, go to https://account.microsoft.com/account/ManageMyAccount?destrt=FamilyLandingPage and log in with the computer owner (administrator) account details.
The second account is already linked to yours. To start setting up, just click on the additional profile icon.
Available settings:
- Operation timer. To limit the time spent at the computer, set the allowed time range for each day of the week.
Also, in the parental control settings window there is an option to control the child’s location. If he uses a portable gadget with Windows 10, parents will always remain aware of where the child is now. This is possible using real-time geolocation services.
Disabling parental controls
Let's look at how to disable parental controls on Windows 7.10. To deactivate the function in Windows 7, just go to the child account settings and uncheck the box next to the “Parental Controls” field.
To deactivate the option in Windows 10, go to your family account on the Microsoft website and reset all previously set restrictions.
Additional parental control programs
Besides standard tools control, you can download other programs for organizing children’s work at the computer from the Microsoft Store.
Waky Safe
Waky Safe is a simple and functional utility for organizing information searches on the Internet. The utility is used as an absolutely safe browser. Which is recommended for use by children. There are built-in mini-games.
Kid Search
Limits the ability to work with the Internet. Parents can configure settings for working with search engines and social networks.
Statistics show that in recent years the number of users modern gadgets(smartphones, tablets) and computers is growing almost exponentially. But surprisingly, the average age of the user, on the contrary, is inexorably moving down. In other words, now more and more often teenagers and preschool children are among the users. And since the modern gaming industry and the Internet still do not have any clear age boundaries, a completely expected question arises. Is it even worth letting a child use a computer from which he can receive almost any information and play any games without age restrictions?
Fortunately, there is now huge amount software and services designed to protect children from shocking and age-inappropriate content. Such age censorship is implemented both at the level of Internet resources and at the level of providers. For example, some mobile operators, providing Internet access, have developed special children's tariffs, which involve the creation of a safe children's Internet zone. But with restrictions at the operating system level, the situation is slightly different. The fact is that you have to restrict access in the system using other methods other than the web.
operating system Windows has been implementing the Parental Controls add-on into its products for quite some time now. This software component evaluates all programs and games installed on a PC and allows you to limit access to them among users, guided by age qualification methods.
Parental controls in Windows 10 offer four main options to control a child's account:
- Monitoring all user actions;
- Control of browsers and browsing history on the Internet;
- Installing games and applications by age limit;
- Limiting the user's time for using the PC.
The most interesting innovation here is the system of restrictions on games and applications of the Windows Store. The operating system operates on the basis of Russian-style age rating assessment data. There are five rating categories in total:
- For all ages;
- Over 6 years old;
- Over 12 years old;
- Over 16 years old;
- Prohibited (only from 18 years old);
Now let's look at the method to enable parental controls on Windows 10.
Go through the Start menu to the section User Accounts.
On the left there will be a list of tabs. Choose Family and other users and press Add.
In the window that opens, select the desired item and confirm your email address.
Now go back to the tab and click Control family settings.
A browser window will open where you can configure your parental control settings.
Navigation through the section occurs on the left side of the screen. Let's take a closer look at the menu items.
Recent Activity
This section displays statistics about your child's computer use. You can see the addresses of the pages viewed on the Internet or find out how much time the child spent on the computer.
Browsing the web
This submenu allows you to configure the display of web pages. You can ban certain sites or even create a small list of resources that your child can access. At the same time, he will not be able to get to the rest.
Applications and games
This item allows you to restrict access to games and programs downloaded from the store. The application's age category is assessed automatically.
Operation timer
Here you can set a certain period of time that the child can spend on the computer. Once this limit is reached, the account will be locked and access will be denied.
The main advantage of parental controls is new Windows 10 is, perhaps, the possibility of remote work with parental controls. As you can see in the screenshot, from the “Recent Actions” section you can set up a weekly report to be sent by email. This will allow you to maintain control over your computer even when you are away.
We also provide tablet repair services. The experts at our office will quickly get your device back to normal.
And if your netbook is damaged, we provide a laptop repair service.
Still have questions? - We will answer them for FREE
Parental controls in Windows 10 allow an adult to set restrictions on a child's computer use. For example, a block is imposed on launching certain applications or visiting unwanted sites. It is also possible to set the time frame for the child to be at the computer. In this article we will consider only the functionality provided by the operating system itself. Windows system 10. Appropriate parental control settings in antivirus programs And specialized applications will be discussed in separate materials.
Note that the parental control feature integrated into Windows 10 has its own specificity, namely that security settings can only be made using a Microsoft account. This feature seriously reduces the effectiveness of this toolkit, since it allows for many ways to bypass restrictions and, in addition, requires a mandatory connection to the Internet. However, in some cases, even such parental control provides quite good protection for the young user from unnecessary information.
Create a new account for your child
So, if you want to control your child’s time on the PC, then you need to create a separate account for him. To do this, log into Windows 10 using a Microsoft account with administrator rights and immediately launch the Settings utility. Next, open the “Accounts” section and go to the “Family and other users” tab.
Click on the words “Add a family member”, after which in the window that appears, set the switch next to the item “Add a child account”.
Click “Next” and go to the window for entering personal data. Here you must specify your email address (you can create a new mailbox or use an existing one), password, country of residence and date of birth of the child. For children under 8 years of age, stricter control parameters will be automatically selected.
The next step will require you to enter a phone number or another email address, which may be useful to recover your password or unlock your account.
In the last window, uncheck the item that activates the work Microsoft service Advertising, and complete the account creation by clicking the “Next” button.
We receive a message that a new user has been added to the family, and for him basic settings parental control.
You can verify that a child’s account has been created on the “Family and other users” tab.
But how can you set up parental controls now? This is done directly on the Microsoft website on the page https://account.microsoft.com/family. You can simply enter this address into your browser or click on the “Manage family settings online” link in the “Family and other users” section.
Setting up parental controls
By going to the site microsoft.com, we get the opportunity to set parental control parameters. In the “Children” subsection, select the child’s account (we only have one) and click on the “Action” link.
Here you can enable/disable activity reports, as well as activate/deactivate the function of sending reports by email. Browsing websites in anonymous InPrivate mode (without saving browsing history and cookies) is blocked for children under eight years of age.
Browsing the web
As we can see, sites with adult content are already blocked from the very beginning and enabled safe search. Below you can write down your list of prohibited or permitted Internet resources.
However, do not forget that the restrictions will only work in browsers Internet Explorer And Microsoft Edge. Other browsers are on the blocked applications list by default. It is to this section that we will move on.
Applications, games and multimedia
This page allows you to set a ban on launching certain applications and games. Adult movies and games are blocked by default. It is possible to restrict receiving applications from Windows Store. It will be possible to add a program to the list of prohibited programs only if it was launched at least once from a child’s account that we created. Information about running applications after some time (usually with a delay) it appears in the corresponding section. Next to each program used there will be a “Block” link.
Device operation timer
This tab sets time limits for the child to be on the computer. It is allowed to set the duration, as well as the permissible time interval for sessions.
Shopping and spending
This sets restrictions on purchasing and downloading games and applications from the Windows Store. There is the necessary functionality for replenishing your account, tracking the expenditure of funds, and receiving a report on all expenses.
Search for a child
With this feature, parents will be able to track the location of their child using portable device with Windows 10 Mobile.
Results
Now we have an idea of how to set parental controls on a Windows 10 computer using the built-in features of the operating system. Of course, the protection mechanism developed by Microsoft is far from perfect, since for it to function, the child must be under a specially created account. In addition, the control functions themselves do not always work correctly; for example, in some cases visited web pages or launched applications may not be displayed. To perform a number of tasks, it is mandatory to have latest updates OS.
Even taking into account all the shortcomings, for the time being, standard means Windows protection 10 can successfully protect a child from inappropriate content, but as knowledge and skills expand, the young user will inevitably find ways to circumvent the restrictions. And here you will have to look towards other, more advanced, methods of installing parental controls.
The parental controls feature in Windows 10 helps you monitor your children's activities while using the computer. It evaluates programs and applications installed on the device based on the age limit, and also controls visits to sites on the Internet.
Parental Control Features
With the help of this software component, a child can use the computer and the Internet more safely. Parental controls give parents access to the following options:
- Monitoring the actions performed by the child.
- Allows you to download and install games depending on the age limit.
- Controls the use of browsers, saves the history of website visits.
- Limits the operating time of the device.
After modifications, Windows 10 appeared additional features this software component. With their help, you can control the purchase of applications and games in the Windows online store in accordance with five age categories:
- for all ages;
- from 6 years;
- from 12 years old;
- from 16 years old;
- from 18 years old.
Turning on and off
- To enable this feature in Windows 10, go to the Start menu and go to User Accounts. In the Family and Others category, click Add a Family Member.
- The operating system will offer a choice of creating a profile for a child or an adult.
- After selecting the appropriate option, enter your email address. Confirm it by going to your email inbox.
Important! The operating system will not allow you to activate parental controls for a local account. Therefore, create a new profile for each user you want to monitor.
- Enabling the parental control feature is complete. To disable this mode, log in as an administrator and make the appropriate settings in the “Family and other users” section. Here, click on the child’s account and click the “Delete” button, confirming the selected action when prompted by the system.
Setting options
To configure parental control settings, go to the “Family and other users” section, where you open the “Manage family settings online” item. 
After this, Windows 10 will open a new browser window in front of you. Here, select the user you are monitoring and configure the monitoring function.
Navigation on the page is carried out on the left side, where there are six points:
- Recent activities. This section will allow you to monitor your child’s actions, the addresses of the pages he or she viewed, and also monitor the total time spent on the device.
- Browsing the web. Using this item, you can control the sites your child views. Open or close access to Internet resources at your discretion.
- Applications, games and multimedia. You can set restrictions on downloads in the online store Windows programs and games. In this case, the age category is assessed automatically.
- Timer for working with the device. Here you can specify the total time your child will spend in front of the device.
- Shopping and spending. This section will allow you to keep track of your spending in the Windows online store. You can credit a user's account without providing your credit card information.
Video
You can learn more about how to properly enable and configure the parental control function in the video.
Conclusion
The parental control function will allow you to monitor your child’s activities on the computer. Using the Internet in this case will become safer. Therefore, this software component is a reliable assistant for parents.
