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The Dreaded Blue Screen – The Sight That Is Unbearable For Computer Users

Introduction:

Most of the computer users would have definitely come across blue screen problem, from where the system becomes unusable without reinstalling the operating system, or by changing the required hardware. Once the blue screen appears, your system will keep rebooting and you will not be able to use it. This problem is a very critical issue, and many users often complain and discuss about it on online forums.

Some of the issues experienced by users related to blue screen are:

In one of the tech forums, an individual posted a comment saying that her laptop was showing blue screen for the last few months while turning it on, and she has no clue about what was happening. It often hung showing a NMI parity check. Even after changing the motherboard, formatting the HDD and updating the BIOS, she is still unable to fix the issue.

  • Another regular computer user pointed out that his laptop keeps rebooting after displaying a blue screen after and there is nothing he can do to stop it. Thus, he keeps his system switched off most of the time.
  • One of the users was also facing similar issue with his Dell laptop. Whenever he tried switching his laptop, he was being prompted with a message stating if he wanted his laptop start normally or in the safe mode. On selecting either of the options the laptop was showed a blue screen with a error message “STOP: 0X000000F4 (0X00000003,0X84BA04D0,0X84BA061C,0X81290330)”. He was not sure about what to do like most of the other users facing similar issue.
  • Some computer users have tried reformatting their hard drive to resolve the blue screen issue. While it may have worked for a few, but it just does not seem to work for others. Obviously it looks like the problem does not just lie with the corrupt OS alone.
  • Some of the people have blue screen issue while working on a particular applications or program. Out of nowhere, their systems showed an error message that the system memory is full, and the computer screen turned blue. Many gamers also faced similar issue while playing. When they removed and placed the laptop battery back, the problem seemed to have resolved on its own, but it did create a doubt about the efficiency of their laptops in their minds.

Effective Solutions:

Many users have tried fixing this problem, while some of them did succeed, others were not so lucky. Those who were able to fix it stated that the problem occurred due to the following reasons, as mentioned below:

  1. RAM is not fitted accurately
  2. Less space in the OS drive
  3. Virus has affected the system

You can try troubleshooting the above mentioned issues, but if you are still unsuccessful, you might want to look for more answers in this link. Hopefully, your computer should be up and running smoothly in a matter of few minutes.

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Antivirus Needs For Daily Web Use

Millions of web users prowl about the internet with only limited knowledge of the hazards and threats out there. As a result many hackers and users with malicious intentions are able to exploit the ignorance of others. Hackers can utilize a wide variety of methods to gain control of information, emails, accounts, or even the victim’s computer. As a result of these threats there is a variety of companies out there that are willing to offer you antivirus programs and other security software to help protect you and your computer. Unfortunately many people are unaware of the protection they will need. These companies are always looking to make money, so they will try to convince you that you absolutely need a paid subscription for an upgraded antivirus program. Below we will analyze just how much protection you will need to do your daily computing, and which antivirus programs will deliver exactly what you want and need.

When it comes to internet users, there are a wide variety of people with just as wide of a variety of internet needs. Whether you are a social butterfly, a shopaholic, an online banker, an avid movie watcher, or a complex mixture of all of them, different actions on the computer can put you at risk in different ways. Here is a list of general activities, their risks and the precautions you should take:

  1. Online banking – with this you need to be completely sure that your computer is secure. Your financial information is a goldmine for hackers. Some of the most common ways they will attempt to retrieve your bank information is by key loggers and phishing sites. Running a quick scan of your computer will help, as well as making sure to log out when you are finished.
  2. General browsing – you don’t always have to visit porn sites or other adult content sites to get a virus. In fact even the most harmless of Google searches can redirect you to a malicious site. Be careful of suspicious sites and try to avoid them when you can, however having your antivirus program run a scan daily, or every other few days, should rid your computer of any Trojans or other viruses that you may have picked up along the way.
  3. Facebook/social network sites – the main target of hackers of late has been Facebook. Its popularity and wide expanse of users has made it a playground for malicious attackers. Facebook accounts are highly sought after and they can be hacked by multiple means (click here to learn more about Facebook account hacking) such as phishing, control of the primary email, brute force hacking, key loggers, and more. Make sure never to put your login details in any other site other than Facebook. Also, running thorough scans should catch key loggers.
  4. Buying/selling online – same as with your online banking information, a hacker would love to get ahold of your credit card information or PayPal so that they can exploit it for their own means. Scammers, key loggers, phishing sites, and other viruses/malicious software can be used in this situation. Make sure to perform regular scans as well as keep your antivirus up to date. Also don’t put your information in any site that is suspicious or isn’t verified by a trusted payer such as PayPal.
  5. YouTube – YouTube does an excellent job of working to prevent viruses and other malicious programs from targeting its users. It recodes all of the videos which, in essence, rids the videos of any potential viruses. They have also disabled links in their comments and added numerous other features. However, not all video sites are as proactive in their attempt to stop hackers so be wary and use trusted sites only.
  6. Downloading files – this is the number one way to infect your computer with a virus/worm/ or malicious software program. The hacker will attempt to create a program that seems to be something completely different than it is; a helpful antivirus perhaps or even some useful plugin. Either way, most of the viruses and malware gain access to your computer by you downloading them. Make sure to scan the download for infections and scan your computer regularly.

So how do you protect yourself you ask? Truth is, it is almost impossible to stop all malicious attacks against your computer. There are thousands and thousands of hackers and many of them work to exploit antivirus programs and firewalls so that they can have access to your computer/data. However, most hackers try to affect as wide of a population base as possible and their efforts are generally not focused in on one individual person. This means that you are can find safety in numbers…somewhat. A minimal firewall and antivirus system, coupled with an awareness of internet safety precautions, will be more than sufficient to protect yourself and your computer from being successfully hacked.

No need to spend your hard earned cash here; there are several free antivirus programs that will suit your needs.

Avast! Free Antivirus – Top picked free antivirus program. Has excellent features, fast download, speedy scans, sandboxing, and more. Click here for the download.

Microsoft Security Essentials – has slightly slower scanning and lower detection rates than Avast but it is still a great free antivirus program. Click here for the download.

Avira AntiVir Personal Edition – great malware detection but somewhat annoying. Click here for the download.

AVG Anti-virus Free – great behavioral blocker but takes forever to download. Click here for the download.

 

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Extra Software Could Be the Reason behind Your Slow PC

It often gets annoying when you are working on something important and your PC slows down. There could be many factors behind this. One of the reasons for your PC slowing down could be installation of extra software. Software requires some amount of memory to get started. Thus, the more number of software you install on your PC the more memory they need.

For an individual who uses computer for most of his jobs might certainly require separate software for each job. This does not imply that he needs all the programs installed by the software. While installing software one must carefully go through the installation process and see which programs are being installed along with the software.

So what is important and what is not?

Most of the software you use, provide you with three options during installation –

  1. To install the complete software
  2. To install the most commonly used programs in the software
  3. To choose the programs you want to install.

It is advisable to choose the third option if you use advanced software as you would have a better idea of which programs you want to install. If you are a new user, the second choice is better as that option installs programs that are commonly needed by new users. The first option is advisable only if you want to study the software or know its complete usage.

Also, software comes with additional programs that you might not need at all. For example, when you download a YouTube downloader, it comes with additional anti-virus software. You do not need this software if you are a typical PC user as you would have advanced anti-virus software already installed on your PC. It is important to take care to check what is getting downloaded along with the software and if it is something you do not need, avoid them.

What if we need all the software that is installed?

There might be times when your PC gets too slow because of installing too much software but you need all of them. A solution to this problem is to increase your RAM memory. Whenever you start any software, it gets loaded onto your RAM memory. Thus, the more software you have, the more RAM memory you need.

You can check the specifications of software installed on your PC and find out the maximum amount of RAM required for the software to run smoothly. If you do not have enough RAM memory for software to run, your PC tends to run slow. Even if you manage to start the software, you cannot use any other application while running that software. If you try to do so, neither of your applications would work and your PC may hang.

For example, Oracle database software requires 1 MB of RAM to get started while a Visual Studio can do with 512 MB. This means that your PC needs minimum 1MB RAM if you are using both of these software. If you try to run Oracle using a 512 MB RAM it won’t work. Anti-virus software that uses powerful scanning tools also requires more RAM memory to scan your PC completely and effectively.

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Raspberry Pi – Take A Bite!

Computers these days are expensive, cumbersome, and simply a huge hassle for people to purchase, especially if the person buying it is tight on money. Yes, sure spending $500-$1000 on average for a computer may seem normal for some people, but for others that’s unheard of and unnecessary. Unfortunately the world is becoming more and more dependent on technology as it is the key for accessing information and news on a global level. This leaves many impoverished and poor people at a severe disadvantage in such a technologically advanced world.

Thankfully there are many foundations that are working towards increasing internet accessibility to all regions and a new computer has just made their job a lot easier. Imagine having a computer that is small…..really small….in fact, imagine it being as small as a credit card! On top of that imagine this super tiny computer being capable of HDMI video playback, normal computer speeds, internet connection, and USB connection.  Meet the Raspberry Pi!

This delectable device actually comes in two different models: Model A and Model B. Here are the specific features and differences between the two models:

Model A: 128MB RAM, No Wireless Network, Linux OS, ARM11 Processor, Videocore IV GPU

Price:  $25.00

Model B: 256 MB RAM, Ethernet Socket, No Wireless Network, Linux OS, ARM11 Processor, Videocore IV GPU

Price: $35.00

Here is a picture of the Raspberry Pi so you can see how small it is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, check out the hands on video for the Raspberry Pie:

watch?v=tC36ujbfnls&feature=relmfu

I’m sure you saw the incredible price above and thought “Nah, that’s a misprint! No computer is only $25!” But in fact it is true. The Raspberry Pi is by far the smallest computer that is going to be put out on market! If you have younger children, know a struggling college student, or just need a simple computer yourself you can always spend just a few bucks and get a fully functioning computer that is smaller than your hand.

So what are Raspberry Pi’s limitations?

Of course this computer is small and to slice the price to such a small amount, the creators had to decide which features were absolute must-have’s. The Raspberry Pi does not come with a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and it cannot store data on it. Fortunately getting a monitor is really cheap, you can find a mouse and keyboard anywhere for under $30, and you can store everything on cloud!

When can you get your mitts on an R. Pi?

Well there are some that are being auctioned off at the moment and the auctioning will end in five days. They can be viewed here:

Raspberry Pie Auction One

Raspberry Pie Auction Two

Or you can not spend $800+ for one of the first models and you can wait till its released here in early 2012. Go to the Raspberry Pi homepage and you can sign up for the mailing list and be notified of the release date when they decide on one!  www.raspberrypi.org

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How To Avoid Deleting files Instead Of Actual Programs

When you install programs, no matter how large of a program they are, they will always create multiple files on your computer for the program data. These extra folders and files will take up a bit of space and if you think of how many programs you have on your computer already (games, browsers, Microsoft Office, picture editors, etc. etc.) you’ll realize that there are a lot of random program files floating about.

For most people, when they want to get rid of a certain program, they simply right click and select delete. This however, does not completely remove all of the little files and your computer will be left cluttered up with useless junk that you’ve attempted to delete.

So, when you want to remove a program it is essential to do it properly. Right clicking and deleting it will not work so let’s look at a few proper ways to completely remove your program and all of the files.

  1. One way to completely remove all of the program files upon deletion is to open up the actual program itself. Many will have an ‘Uninstall’ feature somewhere on their interface so that should be the first thing you should look for. If that is not there or if you can’t seem to find it then continue to the next steps.
  2. When the program itself doesn’t show an uninstall feature then you need to go work around that. First, go to your ‘Start Menu’, and then click on ‘Control Panel’. From there you’ll see several options but the one you want today is titled ‘Programs’ so click on it. Then click on ‘Uninstall a Program’.

    3. When you click on that you will see a list generated of all of the programs installed on your computer currently. This is exceptionally useful because you can sort the programs by date of last use, frequency of use, name, and more. When you sort it by frequency of use you can then see the programs that are not being used on your computer at all, and remove them. Generally if you haven’t used them in about a year you probably won’t use them in the future. If they are a paid program, you might want to reconsider deleting, but if you have the installation CD then you can safely remove that useless clutter without worry.

    So to remove it you simply find the program you want, right click it, and then select ‘Uninstall/Change’. Follow the installation prompts and poof! It will disappear from your computer completely!

You need to be sure you completely remove all of the program files when you are removing a program else you will end up with a lot of clutter that will only bog your computer down and hinder its performance. Performing these simple steps upon uninstallation of a program will ensure that you are minimizing the clutter on your computer and effectively removing all of the programs.

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How To Rid Yourself Of Expensive Phone Bills

Monthly phone bills are the bane of peoples existence. If you want great service you have to pay an arm and a leg for it, and if you are content with getting disconnected every phone call or not having any signal then purchasing a smaller plan may be the way to go. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to go without any type of phone service and many people see how incredibly useful (and safe) cell phones can be. The necessity of these phones puts many people in a tough spot; purchase a long binding contract that forces you to pay each month, get a crappy prepaid phone for your absolute basic needs, or get terrible service. What do you do?

Well thankfully the advances in technology have offered plenty of solutions to this conundrum. You can easily disconnect your current phone plan (be it land line, cell phone, or both) and not only save tons of money with these solutions, but actually enjoy a more intimate connection with those you are attempting to contact.

There are several methods that you can use to connect with people, but combining these will give you a well rounded communication system that is cheap and highly effective.

Video Calls – There are numerous online sollutions to free video calls. This not only allows you to contact your loved ones, but you can actually see them as well. This is truly great for families that are spread across long distances because instead of simply describing things you can actually show them on camera.

Facebook, Google +, Skype, MSN, and many others offer free video calls and you can even add several people into the conversation on some. They take up very little bandwidth as well (even if you go HD), although deciding with provider you prefer will have to be done by trial and error as each of these differs from computer to computer based on internet speed, location, and many other factors.

Don’t have a camera for your computer? Well with all of the money you’ll be saving it should be easy to afford about $15-20 for a decent web camera (Walmart has incredibly cheap ones but Amazon or Ebay might have even more affordable alternatives).

Chat – Having a chat room for all of your friends or chatting with your family members is an excellent alternative to texting. Unfortunately this requires people to be on the computer, but with laptops and other mobile devices this is becoming easier to do while out of the house. You can create your own chat room with some of the free chat services, or simply use Facebook, Google +, MSN, Skype, or any other instant messenger services. This is free, quick, and incredibly effective!
Okay so you may be wondering; well all of these ‘solutions’ require me to be chained down to a computer! Don’t worry though, there is an excellent solution available for you cell phone users!

First, you need to realize how much money you will be saving by cutting the cord with your cell phone provider. There is real no set average phone bill because there are so many extra features you can get (unlimited texting, internet, bla bla bla), so lets just say you have a basic plan with some minutes to text; this will generally cost you around $70 a month (some much more, some less however). So that’s $840 a year you’re spending just on the phone bill itself, not including the actual phone itself.

So the fantastic alternative that will save you endless headaches and empty wallets is an app called Textfree.

Free Text and Phone Calls – Textfree is a free app that will allow you to send and receive phone calls/texts as long as you are connected to the internet. Not only do you get your own phone number but you can access your textfree account from your computer as well, enabling you to stay connected via texting there.

Staying connected to WiFi has never been easier; even fast food restaurants and stores have free WiFi! Simply purchase a smart phone (iPhone or Android), don’t purchase a plan, and make use of its WiFi capabilities to use this completely free app. You can do everything on WiFi that you can on a paid Internet Plan and if you have WiFi at your house (easy to purchase a router) you can stay connected all the time!

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Web Servers – Features and Prices

What is a server?

A server is simply a program running on a computer that computes the request of other programs. These requests generally come from a client and that client can use the same computer or connect to the server via the internet from a remote location.

What kinds of servers are there?

There are numerous servers available and each one is defined based on its uses. Servers range from game servers and file servers to proxy servers and web servers with numerous others in between.  Since almost every action on the internet requires the user to interact with some sort of server, you can imagine how important and diverse servers are.

Which server should I need for my website?

When it comes to websites, you will always need some sort of hosting. This ensures that your site is always up and can handle the traffic/queries/ and requests from the visitors. Web servers are used for this service and can be hosted on server computers from anywhere in the world.

You can find free servers and free hosting for your site, but it is recommended that you use a paid server if you plan on having a successful site or if your site has a lot of data or traffic.

Different characteristics of Web servers:

  • Bandwidth – is a bit rate measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it (kilobits/s, megabits/s etc.). This is a measure of data transfer and it is expressed in bits per second (bps). Good bandwidth for a server would be unlimited.
  • Hosting space – this is the amount of room you are allotted for the files stored on the server. You can easily find servers with unlimited hosting space.
  • Email accounts – For servers this is where you can make as many email accounts as you’d like on your server and read them from the Control Panel.
  • Domains – Quite a few servers offer unlimited domains for their users.
  • MySQL databases – MySQL is a relational database management system that helps you manage all of your data for the server (like registered users).
  • CPanel – This is a user interface for the admins and owners of the server so that all of the features of the server can be managed.
  • Uptime – Servers sometimes crash, go offline, or experience other technical issues. This can be a problem when visitors come to visit your site and they are not able to access it. Making sure you have a reliable server is essential.
  • Customer Support – Having a server that comes with 24/7 customer support is very handy as you will sometimes encounter issues and a quick resolution is necessary.
  • Support of a variety of scripting languages (ie php and perl) – This is excellent for programmers and scripters who prefer to use a different scripting language.

Where to get a web server

So you decided you want a server but need to know where to find one, well below is a list of the top sites that offer these services. Also included is the price they charge and some of their features.

1)      http://www.hostmonster.com/

Features – Unlimited Space & Bandwidth, Host Unlimited Domains, Unlimited E-mail Accounts, Free Domain, cPanel, Google Adwords credit, Free Site Builders, WordPress, No outsourcing.

Price – $8 per month, specials at $6

2)      http://www.ipage.com/ipage/index.html

Features – Unlimited Disk Space/Bandwidth and Email, Free Domain, Free Security Suite, Free Site-Building Tools, Free Online Store, Free Yahoo & Facebook Credits, Powered by green energy

Price – Regularly $8 per month, specials low as $3

3)      http://www.justhost.com/

Features – Unlimited GB’s of Space, Unlimited GB’s of Transfer, Unlimited Domain Hosting, Unlimited E-Mail Accounts, Unlimited MySQL Databases, FREE Site Builder, FREE Domain Name, FREE Instant Setup, Anytime Money Back Guarantee

Price – $7 per month, specials at $4

4)      http://www.hostgator.com/

Features – Unlimited disk space and bandwidth, Free site builder, Control panel, Free website templates, 99% uptime guarentee, 24/7 support, Google Adwords credit

Price – $4 per month

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Ubuntu – Open Source OS

So what is Ubuntu?

It is a computer operating system that is based on Linux. It is open source (meaning that it is able to be changed and improved by the users through its source code) and is free. The name came from a South African phrase ‘humanity towards others’ translated as Ubuntu.

Ubuntu strictly adheres to the open source philosophy and it will remain 100% free.

What is it for?

It is for personal computers and there is also a server version, but today we’ll only discuss the personal variant. Overall there are about 12 million people who use Ubuntu on their personal computers and it is the 4th most popular web server.

Who sponsors it?

Mark Shuttleworth (a South African entrepreneur) owns Canonical Ltd. and sponsors Ubuntu. He makes money by selling the technical support and any other services related to Ubuntu.

Can my computer handle it?

Ubuntu supports both 32 and 64 bit architectures but you also need to ensure that your computer meets the minimum requirements to run this operating system.

For your desktop or laptop you must have:
Processor: 1GHz
Memory (or RAM): 384 MiB
Free space on your hard drive: 5 GB

So why do people use Ubuntu?

Ya this is a free operating system, but what really does it offer? With any purchased computer or laptop you get an operating system, so how is Ubuntu different?

Well, for starters it’s an open source software. This means it is completely customizable and you can change it however you like. Even if you aren’t some elite coder or programmer there are a lot of people out there who have created unique and completely awesome add ons for Ubuntu! You can check out some of the more popular Ubuntu downloads to see some of the fantastic features that it can integrate into your desktop operating system. Go here to look at top 10 Ubuntu downloads: http://lifehacker.com/5227309/top-10-ubuntu-downloads

On top of that, it’s free! Windows operating systems often get updated, leaving you in the dust without the fancy new gizmos so you are forced to either purchase the new upgrade or find an alternate means of obtaining that new OS.

 

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How to Install Programs Which Do Not Have a Valid Signature

When it comes to installing unknown programs and files on your computer, you need to be very careful. These programs pose real threats to your computer and you may very well be unintentionally giving a malicious program access to your computer. The good thing about computers running on the Windows operating systems is that they have an automatic process that will not only screen for a valid electronic signature, but if the signature is missing or invalid then it will not allow you to run or install them.

This built in feature for the Windows OS may serve as a shield to protect many normal users, but for the advanced users they may find this bothersome. If you are want to install files without electronic signatures then first you should understand what they are and why the signatures are there before you enable them.

What is a digital signature?

Many of you may not completely understand what an electronic signature is and how this pertains to the actual program or file that you are attempting to run. This signature is actually an electronic security mark that is added to executable files. You have never met the person that created and published the program you are trying to run, and you don’t know who has possibly tampered with the program after it was published. You don’t know what these people’s intentions are, what they are capable of doing, and what they will do if they have any access to your information or computer. Due to these uncertainties, the publishers of these programs and files should have a valid digital signature and if they are tampered with after it was published, or if no signature was ever put on in the beginning, then your computer will alert you before running it.

Unfortunately a digital signature does not guarantee that the contents of the file, or the program, are not intended to harm your computer. That is a decision you must make and it is recommended that you research any suspicious programs or files before allowing them access to your computer.

How to enable and disable the feature that blocks unsigned programs/files

There are three different methods you can try to allow your computer to disable this feature. As the user you need to be aware that you may be exposing your computer to harmful programs and files by doing so.

  • Method one – Open ‘Internet Explorer’, open ‘Internet Explorer Menu Toolbar’, select ‘Tools’, select ‘Internet Options’, go to the ‘Advanced’ tab. Scroll down and check ‘Allow software to run or install even if the signature is invalid’. To reverse this, simply repeat these steps and uncheck the option at the end.
  • Method two– Go to ‘Start’, go to ‘Run’, type in ‘regedit’ in the text box, click ‘OK’, find ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing’ in the registry, right click on ‘Policy’, select ‘Modify’. Change the current value and put in a ‘0’ then click ‘OK’.
  • Method three– Press the ‘F8’ key when your computer is booting up. Select ‘Disable Driver Signature enforcement’ for that boot session, then when your computer starts up for that session you will be able to download programs without signatures. You have to do this each time you start up though.

 

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List of Software to Protect Your Child From Internet Dangers

Children are introduced to technology at a much younger age and as a result are more competent with computers and electronics than many adults. Unfortunately the dangers that await children and young teens on the internet can lead to horrific consequences and many parents deem it necessary to protect their kids until they feel that they are old enough, and responsible enough, to view certain websites.

The best way to make sure that your child or teen doesn’t go to harmful or dangerous websites is by installing a parental control program that will prevent them from entering the site. Below is a list of several programs, their effectiveness, and price.

Install / Enable Windows parental control on Windows (Free)

This program is built into any computer that uses the Windows operating system.

  1. How to install – It is already pre-installed. To activate go to “Start”, click “Control Panel”, go to “User Accounts”, click “Set up Parental Controls”. Once you are there, you can decide which user you want to set parental controls on by selecting them. You can also adjust the settings so that you can put on time limits to their web use, even restrict them from going to certain websites, and even prevent them from running certain programs on the computer.
  2. Effectiveness- It is effective for younger children, although as they get older they may easily find ways past the parental controls. Whether they manage to infiltrate your account by discovering your password (don’t write it down), if they use a proxy to bypass the controls, or they can use a password recovery program to learn the administrator password and unblock themselves.
  3. Cost- This is a free program and is standard with Windows OS. There are no fees or any other restrictions.

Download OnlineFamily Norton free to protect your children from online vulnerability (Free and Paid)

This is a free program that you have to install on your computer. It has the same basic features but it also incorporates a messaging system that notifies the parent when the child accesses a site, how long they were on it, and what they put in a query box.

  1. How to install – Go here and install. You can choose the paid program if you like the additional features it offers. There are complete instructions for installation and setup on the site.
  2. Effectiveness- this is just a little more effective than the basic windows program. It allows you to set time limits and even sends you email notifications on what your child is doing while they are online. It provides the same adjustable settings and you can customize it for each user. Unfortunately the same methods to bypass the Windows program apply to this program.
  3. Cost- This program is free and just requires you to sign up as a member. There is a paid subscription available for $49.99 that offers more features.

Download Net Nanny (Paid)

This program requires you to pay for a subscription. It offers a few more features than the previous two programs and is highly recommended amongst users for its ease of use and effectiveness.

  1. How to install – Go here and proceed to purchase the program, and then follow the guided steps that help you install it.
  2. Effectiveness – This program is excellent for social networking sites and games and makes it easy to set controls and time limits for each user. It also boasts a great user interface that is easy to use and very explanatory. Once again, a computer smart child will be able to bypass the security restrictions on this by using proxies, learning your password, or other methods.
  3. Cost- you have to pay $29.95 for 1 copy of Net Nanny. You are ensured with a 15 day 100% money back guarantee.

Other free parental control programs:


1) Windows Live Family Safety
2) Kidzui
3) K9 Web Protection