Software to prevent kids from downloading or installing apps like kaaza

[Senator]

My teenage boy downloaded and installed Kazaa on my new computer. Even using uninstallers, Ad-Aware, Spybot, registry cleaners, etc. I still have remnants of its various malwares on my system.

Does anyone have suggestions on software the would allow me to manage what the kids can download and install on my system? Thanks.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

He can use KaZaa Lite K++ to avoid the malware.

Maybe you could require a password to log on to your PC. Set yourself up with a passworded account that has administrator priveleges, make the kid use the guest account. I don't think the Guest account can install junk, can it?

Maybe you have to set permissions. I don't know much about that stuff though.

 

[NotSoSimple]

DeepFreeze your comp. Usually works better for a business environment..But if set up correctly, whenever the computer is restarted, whatever was changed/downloaded before hand will be whiped out.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Create an account that is limited access. Does not allow installation of programs.
Change your administrator password after you do so.

 

[snidy1]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Create an account that is limited access. Does not allow installation of programs.
Change your administrator password after you do so.

whar he said

 

[ProviaFan]

The way the Guest group and account worked on Windows 2000 by default, from what I can remember, is that it would automatically delete and reset everything upon each login. Which if I was in your son's place, I would probably be pretty upset whenever school files or whatever disappeared. A restricted user account will prevent the installation of most programs, as far as I can tell (in my case, where my parents use my computer instead of vice versa, I have them on a restricted user account since they tend to pick up lots of spyware and junk otherwise due to not understanding how to close full screen popups and stuff with fake window controls on it).

 

[episodic]

Make groups and assign users the rights they need.

You can't prevent users from installing software without severly
limiting their ability to use the computer. Some programs will both install and run
as an unpriviledged user.

You can only stop this by making a policy explicitly saying what IS allowed to run, for example, excel.exe, publisher.exe, etc.

By locking the system with gpedit.msc you can prevent alot of software from being installed though. Only grant read access on the registry, and write access only when a program seems to need it. Only provide read and execute permissions to c:\windows and c:\program files.

If you are hard core, do this.

Install 2 harddrives.

On the second partition make a data partition (10 gigs or so) Leave the rest as a backup space.

Get Ghost 2003.

Put a defualt image on the 2nd drive in the backupspace.

Tell your users to store their documents on the data partition.

Run a scheduling program to restore the default image nightly/weekly/whatever to the c drive. If I remember right you can set ghost to do this, but it has been a while. I'm sure there is a way to do it automatically though.

 

[MedicBob]

with windows 2000 and XP Pro you can use GPEDIT.MSC, just type that in the run box. It is the group policy editor and you can actually disable them from running everything. Read up on it befor touching it though, as it affects everyone computerwide. Plus as suggested before make them their own user names and set permissions. Both working together can restrict them pretty good.

 

[clicknext]

There is a program called "Norton Go-Back". It allows you to return your system to the state it was in at a previous time/date. It's different from Windows System Restore in the way that it restores EVERYTHING, while System Restore only restores settings and system files or something like that. Go-Back differs from DeepFreeze in the way that you can choose when you want to "go back" rather than have your computer automatically reset everytime you restart.