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Set up Parental Controls (Windows users)

You can use Parental Controls to help manage how your children use the computer. For example, you can set limits on the hours that your children can use the computer, the games they can play, and the programs they can run.

When Parental Controls blocks access to a game or program, a notification is displayed that the program has been blocked. Your child can click a link in the notification to request permission for access to that game or program. You can allow access by entering your account information.

To set up Parental Controls for your child, you'll need your own administrator user account. Before you get started, make sure each child that you want to set up Parental Controls for has a standard user account. Parental Controls can be applied only to standard user accounts.

In addition to the controls that Windows provides, you can install additional controls, such as web filtering and activity reporting, from a separate service provider. 

To turn on Parental Controls for a standard user account

  1. Open Parental Controls by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking Control Panel, and then, under User Accounts and Family Safety, clicking Set up parental controls for any user.‌ ‌ Administrator permission required If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

  2. Click the standard user account that you want to set Parental Controls for. If the standard user account isn't set up yet, click Create a new user account to set up a new account.

  3. Under Parental Controls, click On, enforce current settings.

  4. Once you've turned on Parental Controls for your child's standard user account, you can adjust the following individual settings that you want to control:

    • Time limits. You can set time limits to control when children are allowed to log on to the computer. Time limits prevent children from logging on during the specified hours. You can set different logon hours for every day of the week. If they're logged on when their allotted time ends, they'll be automatically logged off.

    • Games. You can control access to games, choose an age-rating level, choose the types of content you want to block, and decide whether you want to allow or block unrated or specific games.

    • Allow or block specific programs. You can prevent children from running programs that you don't want them to run.

Settings for an account on the Family Safety website

Set up your kids' accounts in Family Safety

Family Safety is an integrated part of Windows 8 and Windows RT, so it's easier than ever to keep track of when and how your kids use the PC, and to set limits on exactly which websites, apps, and games they're allowed to use. To turn on Family Safety, you—or at least one designated parent—needs an administrator account; the kids you choose to monitor each need a standard user account.

 

Note

  • If your PC is connected to a domain, Family Safety might not be available. Check with your system admin.

 

Create an account for a child

If your child already has a Microsoft account, or an email address that he or she uses with other Microsoft services likeOutlook.com or Xbox LIVE, you can add that account to your PC through Family Safety. You can also create a new Windowsuser account (with or without an accompanying email address) for a child. Here's how:

  1. Sign in to your PC with an administrator account.

  2. Tap or click Change PC settings from the Settings charm.

  3. Tap or click Users.

  4. Under Other users, tap or click Add a user.

  5. Do one of the following:

    • If your child already has an email address, enter it, and then tap or click Next.

    • If you want to create a new email address for your child, tap or click Sign up for a new email address and follow the instructions.

    • If you want your child to sign in to this PC only, tap or click Sign in without a Microsoft account. Tap or click Local account, and follow the instructions.

  6. Select the Is this a child's account? Turn on Family Safety to get reports of their PC use check box, and then tap or click Finish.

    The Add a user dialog box showing a child's accountThis child already has a Microsoft account. Her email address and account picture have been synced with the cloud.
 

Notes

 

Give someone else parental access

You can assign other people parental access to Family Safety. When you add a parent to your family online, they can respond to kids' permission requests and monitor kids' PC activities, so you can present a united parenting front. Here's how:

  1. Use the Search charm to search for family, and then tap or click Set up Family Safety for any user.

  2. Tap or click Manage settings on the Family Safety website. Administrator permission required You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.

  3. Under Family summary, at the bottom of the list of family members, do one of the following:

    • Tap or click Add a new parent to add someone to the list of family members, and then follow the instructions.

    • Tap or click Make a family member a parent to give parent permissions to an existing family member. Choose a person from the drop-down list, and follow the instructions.

 

Note

  • Whichever parent responds to a child's permission request first gets to allow or block it. Responses can't contradict each other.

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