Child Control 2012 12.407

It is a good idea to let your child use the computer, familiarize himself with all the benefits offered by technology. It is not such a good idea though to let your child use the computer unsupervised; he may play with the settings and harm your PC, he may access applications he shouldn’t, and he may visit webpages that are unsuited for his age. This is where the functionality offered by Child Control comes in. This is a powerful tool that you can use to control your child’s computer usage.

Child Control can be installed on a PC powered by Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Windows 7. To install the application, you must download a 19.4MB installation file, run it, and then follow the instructions presented by a setup wizard. Once the process completes, you will be asked to pick a password for the application (make sure you don’t choose one that’s easy to guess) and you’re asked to provide your email address (this will be used for notifications and in case you forget the password).

The blue interface puts the buttons for all the functionality of Child Control to the left. There are menus on the left hand side that you can use to set up time limits and internet filters, set up a list of allowed and never authorized applications, disable access to Windows functions, like the Control Panel and Task Manager, and block the child from accessing specific folders. By going through all the buttons to the left, you can access a wide range of settings for controlling your child’s computer usage.

There’s an even handier way of controlling your child’s computer usage – you can use the Wizard. By default, the Wizard will show up when you launch Child Control. If you close it, you can always access it again by clicking the Wizard button in the bottom left hand side. The wizard will guide you, step by step, through the main settings. New computer users in particular are well advised to take advantage of the Wizard.

You can stay on top of Child Control even when you’re not around. You can set it up so that you can remotely control the application from any Internet-enabled PC, and you can set it up so that Child Control sends activity reports to you via email.

You have 31 days at your disposal to try out Child Control for free. Once the evaluation period is over, you will have to get a license to keep using the application.

Child Control makes it very easy to control your child’s computer usage. This user friendly application helps you set up time limits, keep your child out of various Windows functions and out of specific folders, limits the applications he can run, and keeps him from accessing unsuitable websites.

Pros
Access to Child Control is password protected. There’s a handy wizard that guides you through the main settings. You can set up time limits, internet filters, block access to folders, block access to Windows functions, block access to applications, get reports via email, and remotely control Child Control. The interface is good looking and easy to use.

Cons
Free to use for a trial period of 31 days.

Child Control has been reviewed by George Norman on 23 Apr 2012. Based on the user interface, features and complexity, Findmysoft has rated Child Control 5 out of 5 stars, naming it Essential