Parental Controls

The first time you try to use the Parental Controls, you will be asked if you have set up any separate Microsoft Windows User Accounts on the computer. By setting up separate accounts for your children, you can configure different rules for them by linking each Windows User Account to the Parental Controls. Otherwise, the same rules will apply to everyone using the computer.

Whether or not you have set up separate user accounts, the Parental Controls will then walk you through the steps involved in setting up the rules for this protection.

Parental Controls let you filter different categories of websites based on three age groups: child (3-7), pre-teen (8-12), and teen (13-17). The list below shows which specific categories are blocked by default for each age group.

Select Block Untested Websites to prevent your children from seeing websites that Trend Micro has not checked yet.

Select Enable Image Filtering to block images inappropriate for children from appearing in online search results from websites known to provide them.

Select Block Search Engines to prevent your children from using search engines to access inappropriate websites.

Selecting Custom from the age group list lets you pick and choose all of the categories that you would like to block.

The Parental Controls also let you determine when your children can access the web. You can set separate schedules for weekdays and weekends by clicking hours on each meter, or set a detailed daily schedule for your kids. In addition, you have the option to limit your children's total time allowed on the computer.

A highlighted area indicates that access is blocked during that time. Unmarked areas show when access will be allowed. Clicking any part of the meter will toggle the highlighting on or off. You can also click and drag the mouse cursor along the meter to make changes more quickly.

The Parental Controls can prevent your children from opening specific programs at certain times. Use this feature to block chat programs or games when your kids should be using the Internet for homework. You can still open these programs at any time by providing your password.

Click the Add button to open a window with a list of installed programs. Select a program to put on the list. Click Browse... if you have trouble finding a particular program. Click OK when you have made your choice.

After the program is added to the list, under Scheduled Access click Change schedule to schedule when the program can be accessed. Click OK when you are finished.

You can click the Remove button after selecting the checkbox next to at least one program on the list.

You can make changes to the settings at any time by clicking Family on the main console and then selecting Parental Controls.

If you decide to set up Microsoft Windows User Accounts later, you can also integrate them into the Parental Controls by clicking Manage Accounts in the Parental Controls window.

You can also check on what the Parental Controls have blocked by checking the Security Report from time to time.

You can use Parental Controls to create customized rules for everyone who uses the computer. For example, you can enforce strict filtering when young children use the computer, but still allow more permissive settings for older children.

Customized rules for Parental Controls rely on Windows User Accounts. Microsoft Windows allows you to create unique accounts (with a user name and password) for each person using the computer. You can link these accounts to the Parental Controls, and then set up different filtering and access schedules for each one.

The Parental Controls only recognize Windows User Accounts created on the computer, and do not work with Windows Domain accounts.