Parental Lock Guard 1.2

For what seems like forever security companied have been warning computer users to protect their children from harmful stuff they could encounter online – this varies from content that is unsuitable to the child’s age, to offensive apps and even people with malicious intent.

There are software applications that specialize in empowering you to keep your child’s computer experience safe. One such application is Parental Lock Guard, developed by Software Developer Rajic Dejan of RIA Software Company.

The first thing you are going to like about this application is its small download size. Parental Lock Guard weighs in at some 4.5MB.The download should complete in no time at all, especially on a high-speed internet connection. The installation process should take but a moment as well. Just follow the instructions in the setup wizard and you should be okay. After the installation process completes, you have to restart your system.

One other thing you are going to love about this software application is that it doesn’t cost a thing. You can download, install and use Parental Lock Guard for as long as you want without having to pay a dime in return. This is because Parental Lock Guard is freeware.

Last but not least, you are going to love what this application can do. It allows you to specify which applications your child can launch and which he cannot. It allows you to protect your data by not letting the child view, rename or delete certain folders. It allows you to specify how much time your child can spend using the computer, on a day to day basis (configure computer usage rules for each day). If the child restarts the computer after Parental Lock Guard shut it down, the application asks the child for a password (password that only you know). The child has 10 seconds to enter the password – failure to do so results in the computer being shut down again.

Parental Lock Guard runs in the background, safely out of view. A tech savvy might try to shut down or remove Parental Lock Guard. He will only fail because the application does not show up in Task Manager. Parental Lock Guard can be brought into view by using a hot-key combo.

The one thing you are not going to like is the fact that Parental Lock Guard is meant to be used with Windows XP. So if you’re on Vista or Windows 7, you’re out of luck.

For the Windows XP user that wants to monitor his child’s computer usage, Parental Lock Guard offers a good selection of tools free of charge.

Pros

• Freeware
• Well-labeled interface for easy configuration
• Manage how much time the child can spend using the computer
• Limit access to applications and folders
• Runs in the background, out of view

Cons

• Meant for Windows XP
• No help file

Parental Lock Guard has been reviewed by George Norman on 29 Mar 2010. Based on the user interface, features and complexity, Findmysoft has rated Parental Lock Guard 4 out of 5 stars, naming it Excellent