|
|
|
PC Chaperone FAQs
|
|
|
These are some of the most common questions asked about PC Chaperone. If you can't find an answer
to your question here please
Contact Us
|
|
|
|
|
|
General
|
|
|
Do I still need PC Chaperone if I have Windows Vista?
|
|
|
|
|
The Windows Vista parental controls are quite basic and won't meet the needs of most parents.
Here are a couple of the biggest shortcomings:
|
|
|
|
|
1)
|
|
The scheduling tools only allow you to block off certain times with the user
can't use the computer, but do not provide an option to limit access based on
a maximum total run time. For example, if you want to let your kids use their
computer at any time between 5:00pm and 10:00pm, but only for a maximum of 2 hours,
the Vista parental controls will not be sufficient
|
|
|
|
|
|
2)
|
|
There are no options to schedule access to individual programs. For example, if you
just want to limit the amount of time your kids spend playing games the Vista
parental controls cannot help
|
|
|
|
|
|
3)
|
|
There are no options to schedule access to individual websites; they can only be
completely blocked. With PC Chaperone, for example, you can set a schedule to limit
to amount of time your kids spend on sites like MySpace and Facebook, or perhaps the
time they spend playing online games
|
|
|
|
|
Additionally, one of the shortcomings of the Vista parental controls is that
any user with the password to an administrator account can turn them on or off. This
might not seem like an issue since you should create all user accounts as Standard User
types, but we have reports from many parents that they had to give their children
administrator passwords since several programs, including some popular games,
will not run without it. This effectively defeats any advantage the parental controls
provide
|
|
|
|
|
Do you have reseller programs?
|
|
|
|
|
Yes, we have many resellers.
Contact Us
For information on how to become a reseller
|
|
|
|
|
How often do you release new versions?
|
|
|
|
|
There is no set period between releases, but they are generally every one to two months
Aside from minor improvements and the occasional addition of a new feature, the main reason
for these updates is to account for changes in supported instant messengers and Internet browsers
that require us to refresh these program's fingerprints. In most cases these controls will continue
to function properly without the update, unless there are major changes in the supported program
In general, checking for updates every two to three months is sufficient to ensure optimum
protection
|
|
|
|
|
Do I have to pay for updates?
|
|
|
|
|
PC Chaperone includes a free upgrades policy. Although we do reserve the right to charge a
partial fee in the event of the addition of major features, we have yet to exercise this
right and don't expect to in the future
|
|
|
|
|
How many computers can I install PC Chaperone on?
|
|
|
|
|
Each license entitles you to install PC Chaperone on a single computer. You have to purchase
a separate license for each computer you want to install PC Chaperone on
|
|
|
|
|
I bought a new computer and want to remove PC Chaperone from the old one and install it on the new one.
Do I need to purchase a new license?
|
|
|
|
|
No, as long as PC Chaperone is not installed on both computers at the same time you will
not be violating your license agreement
|
|
|
|
|
Do you offer volume discounts?
|
|
|
|
|
Yes. To view the discounts go to the order page of the edition you are interested in,
where you will find a link to view the discount rates
|
|
|
|
|
Installing PC Chaperone
|
|
|
Why was I told that I need administrator's access to install PC Chaperone?
|
|
|
|
|
During the installation process the PC Chaperone installer must make changes to
the Windows setup. Specifically, PC Chaperone must be added to the list of programs that are
started when Windows starts. Some restricted account types don't have sufficient rights to make
these changes. Simply log into Windows with an account that has a higher security level
and run the installation again
Windows Vista users will simply be prompted for a Administrator password
|
|
|
|
|
Why did my spyware detection or other security software identify PC Chaperone as a possible threat?
|
|
|
|
|
First, let us assure you that PC Chaperone does not pose any security threat to your computer. In
fact, PC Chaperone has been certified by several independent shareware sites as being spyware and
virus free
The reasons why you are seeing this warning are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
The PC Chaperone monitoring program is added to the list of programs that are started when
Windows starts. Since many spyware and viruses also add themselves to this list, most
security software is designed to warn you when a new program is added to this list
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.
|
|
Spyware and virus detection programs are designed to identify programs that include
keystroke loggers. Keystroke loggers are used by spyware programs to capture passwords
and other personal information and send it to the spyware creator
PC Chaperone is identified by spyware detection tools because it does include a keystroke
logger as a reporting tool
PC Chaperone does not transmit any information gathered through it's keystroke logger
to Precipice Software or any other entity. The gathering of information using the keystroke
logger is only performed based on the PC Chaperone report generating settings
|
|
|
|
|
|
Security
|
|
|
How secure is PC Chaperone?
|
|
|
|
|
Without the Administrators Password users cannot shut down the monitoring service,
modify restrictions, or uninstall PC Chaperone
All critical PC Chaperone files are protected from deletion and all related Windows settings are
protected from modification
|
|
|
|
|
Can program schedules be overridden by renaming their .exe file?
|
|
|
|
|
No, PC Chaperone restrictions cannot be defeated by renaming program files
PC Chaperone fingerprints program files using several features that cannot be modified
by a user. Any attempt to defeat schedules by renaming the program file will not succeed
Instant Messengers, and Internet browsers have even more comprehensive checks that ensure
restrictions cannot be overridden
|
|
|
|
|
Internet
|
|
|
Why are some websites being blocked when all the Internet filters are turned off?
|
|
|
|
|
If the AOL (AIM), Live Messenger (MSN), or Yahoo Instant Messengers controls are being used then some websites
will be blocked by default
There are a number of internet based portals that can be used to access the AOL, MSN, and Yahoo
networks. PC Chaperone is designed to block access to these portals if there are any
AOL, MSN, or Yahoo users being controlled by PC Chaperone to prevent users from accessing
these portals and defeating their limits
In addition PC Chaperone will block Internet based proxies for the same reasons
|
|
|
|
|
How do I allow access to a website is being blocked by the Internet Filters?
|
|
|
|
|
Simply add the website to the URL White List. This list takes precedence over all other rules
|
|
|
|
|
How do I block access to a website that is on the PC Chaperone white list?
|
|
|
|
|
Simply add the website to the URL Black List. This list takes precedence over all other rules,
except the URL White List
|
|
|
|
|
How do I modify the message on the web page that is displayed when a user attempts to view a prohibited page?
|
|
|
|
|
In the PC Chaperone installation directory (generally c:\program files\pc chaperone\) there
is a file called Prohibited.html. Make a copy of this file, giving it any name you wish. The
copy can be placed anywhere, but we recommend leaving it in the PC Chaperone directory
Open this copy in a text editor, such as Notepad, Wordpad,
or any word processor, and make the necessary changes. This is a very simple HTML file that
won't require any HTML knowledge to edit
Open the PC Chaperone console and go to the Violation Action option under the
Internet Access options for the policy you want to change the message for. Change the
filename under the Redirect to the following web page option to the new file
|
|
|
|
|
How is a Domain Schedule different then the Browser Schedule?
|
|
|
|
|
The Browser Schedule will control all Internet browsing activity, while
Domain Schedules are used to control access to only specific domains
As an example, if a Domain Schedule is created and the domains MySpace.com and FaceBook.com
are added to it, the user will be restricted in how long they can access these domains only
|
|
|
|
|
|
