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ways of checking up

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hi,

My younger sister has got her own internet connection now and my mum would like to be able to spy on her from time to time, just to make sure she's not ending up being exposed to anything she shouldnt, or going on anything unsafe etc, because so far she's managed to fuck up the computer a few times.

We want some way of looking what she's doing without downloading anything, without having to rely on the internet explorer history which can be easily deleted.

Anyone know of anything?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yup it's easy at the cost of about 20 quid, I'd defiantly install parental control software on a computer if I had children.

    To be honest it pretty much comes down to personal preference and price as there are so many applications that will let you monitor a computer. There is the well known Net Nanny but that has seemed to be a bit of a spammy company.

    www.safeeyes.com and www.cyberpatrol.com seem a couple of the best.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks for the help, it may come in handy in the future, but i dont think my mum wants to pay for anything, i forgot to explain that bit in my first post

    We were thinking something more along the lines of a way of checking the system manually for places where stuff may be stored, similar to checking the internet explorer history, but something that the majority of people dont know about. My sister knows how to delete history so thats not much good.

    Either that, or remote desktop, would that work? We mainly need to check on her when my sister has her older friend over (she's a bad influence) so maybe watching what they are doing with remote desktop? Although my sisters computer has xp home and not pro, so im not sure if that would work
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well you could read the Index.dat file which keeps redundant information like typed URLs and search queries but that can be wiped easily but I guess it's worth a go, although if you all use the same computer then you may find yourself looking through a lot of junk and you will find that there will be URL entries that are added without you even knowing about it.

    Try out Index Dat Spy, it's free and you can sort by date and time.
    http://www.stevengould.org/software/indexdatspy/download.html

    First do the following:
    Under Explorer go to Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Enable Show Hidden Files and Folders.

    Now open the program and navigate to the following:

    C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\

    'C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\History\History.IE5\'
    and a number of subdirectories with the prefix MSHist, 'C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\History\History.IE5\MSHist012004073120040801'

    C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Cookies'.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Excellent, thank you :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blah wrote: »
    Thanks for the help, it may come in handy in the future, but i dont think my mum wants to pay for anything, i forgot to explain that bit in my first post

    If she is that worried, surely £20 is nothing? I think a small outlay now would save on tears of regret etc from your mother later.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Also using Index.Dat isn't the best way of finding out what sites are being visited, as I say URLs can be visted without knowing and so you could end up blaming her for things she hasn't done. The only sure fire way to check up on her is to use one of the above products, you can find out who she is talking with, what she's saying, what email is being sent/received, what sites are being visited, block sites, watch what she is doing in real time, have automatic screen shots taken, and it's stealthy and she won't even know it's installed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you have Windows XP set her up as a guest then you can make it so she can only view certain sites.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    you'd probably get less greif off her if you installed parental controls rather than checking up on her without her knowledge. if she knows you'll be checking up on her though, all's fine :) just make she she thinks you can check up on her even if she deletes internet history etc, even if you cant :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What I did with my cousin is just said to her I'd linked the pc to mine so I could read everything she was typing. Soon stopped the naughty convos! :p

    But then I told her I was kidding, because hey you're only 15 once right? I know I was no angel :p. I remember my first porn like it was yesterday...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it's a bit different for boys, girls are more naive.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Makoto wrote: »
    I think it's a bit different for boys, girls are more naive.

    D'ya reckon? I mean, there's a rule she aint going to meet anyone or if she does its with friends etc. or my mum has picked up people from her old school.

    But I think a 15 /16 year old girl probably knows what shes saying and everyone has to explore that kind of thing at some age I reckon. Better to be safe thru the internet rather than whatever.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sorry, I mean girls who are about 13.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ooh, also worth considering is that parental controls will probably prevent her from inadvertently infecting the computer with loads of crapware and viruses. someone who's just got free reign of the net for the first time will likely be fooled by "click her now for free spyware check!" banners that actually infect you with spyware if you download stuff.

    especially if she's not that net savvy, which is a fair guess if she's a only 13 or whatever. it's very easy to fill your pc with malicious stuff accidentally downloading things from p2p networks and the like.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd move the PC into the lounge, and then she won't be able to visit naughty sites.

    I think that a parent should take some responsibility rather than relying on software to do the job for them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mist wrote: »
    I'd move the PC into the lounge, and then she won't be able to visit naughty sites.

    I think that a parent should take some responsibility rather than relying on software to do the job for them.

    But I bet there are times when there's not always someone else in or they leave the room/go to bed etc.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aaaye I'd go with blocking the sites entirely with parental control software over the not placing trust in your children then invading their privacy approach.

    EDIT: Also, spying on her at a later date isn't going to fix the computer if she managed to fuck it up by going on dodgy sites.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the thing is it's more about not trusting other people, the net is full of pervs, it's better to keep check.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hence, block the sites where she may meet such pervs. Don't start spying on her MSN conversations with her friends and shit :/
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You quite easily meet pervs via MSN, only takes someone to get her MSN off a friendly website.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kiezo wrote: »
    Hence, block the sites where she may meet such pervs. Don't start spying on her MSN conversations with her friends and shit :/


    I agree, I'd sure be pissed of and angsty if I were a 13 yr old and found out my parents were spying on my new found freedom without my knowledge.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The only real places you could possibly list your MSN addresses is sites where you're going to meet pervs anyway; MySpace, Bebo, Faceparty, forums, chat rooms, whatever.
    Replicant wrote: »
    I agree, I'd sure be pissed of and angsty if I were a 13 yr old and found out my parents were spying on my new found freedom without my knowledge.

    Yeaaah I think that's the kind of thing that destroys any form of trust that exists between you and your parents. On par with your parents going through your drawers/belongings just to make sure you don't have any condoms stored, or a baggy with some pills in. You know, it's for your own good so obviously that kind of invasion of privacy is allowed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yup, it's not a good idea at all.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    This is one of the reasons we dont want to buy nanny software to install.

    We dont want to keep tabs on her msn conversations and emails or anything, so it would be pointless to install nanny software. She's set up as a non-administrator now so that she cannot install anything, too.

    What we do want to do is from time to time, check what websites she's been going on. She's started lieing about these sorts of things, especially when she has her friends over, and to be honest she has already broken the trust by lieing about what she does on the internet.

    We've already told her that we're going to double check if what she tells us is true, so it'll be no suprise to her if we confront her about some proof we've found about her visiting some sites she promised not to.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blah wrote: »
    This is one of the reasons we dont want to buy nanny software to install.

    We dont want to keep tabs on her msn conversations and emails or anything, so it would be pointless to install nanny software.

    What? o_O
    Blah wrote: »
    What we do want to do is from time to time, check what websites she's been going on. She's started lieing about these sorts of things, especially when she has her friends over, and to be honest she has already broken the trust by lieing about what she does on the internet.

    I really don't see the problem with blocking the sites entirely instead of well, entrapment. Honestly, why not take away her ability to do it in the first place instead of letting her see all the fucked up shit out there then bursting through the door going "Ah HA!".

    Shit, I'm almost 22 and I don't think my parents would be happy if they knew the kind of sites I went on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kiezo wrote: »
    I really don't see the problem with blocking the sites entirely instead of well, entrapment. Honestly, why not take away her ability to do it in the first place instead of letting her see all the fucked up shit out there then bursting through the door going "Ah HA!".

    it is almost entrapment, you're right :lol:

    nanny software doesnt checkup on her conversations or anything like that. it'll just block certain websites, and a standard set of websites (like porn & malware sites etc). they're more designed for prevention rather than catching someone in the act. (at least I think so, I've never actually used one)

    but on the other hand, as long as she knows that you'll be checking what websites she's been to, then it's fine, you just need to be careful not to be seen as spying on her without her knowledge.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    for the record go to download.com, type in keylogger, change the licence type to free and have a look around you should be able to find something perfect. It will record msn things but if you dont want to read that just dont, but you will be able to see what websites she's on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    im not actually looking for advice on how to parent. Its my mums choice how she goes about it, she asked me how this can be done and im trying to find out for her.

    Ive suggested the nanny software and she said no to that. So its her choice how she goes about it, im just the researcher.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Replicant wrote: »
    but on the other hand, as long as she knows that you'll be checking what websites she's been to, then it's fine, you just need to be careful not to be seen as spying on her without her knowledge.

    I still wouldn't say so, but whatever. Again, it's tantamount to saying "Yeah, I'm going to invade your privacy and there's nothing you can do about it". Not exactly the best lessons to be teaching your kid unless you want them to grow up full of resentment.

    As for the original question, there's no way to do what you want. If you want to spy on your kids, you need to download software for it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    tbh Kiezo is right, you might as well block the sites outright instead of going through logs because then she has already been exposed to stuff. If you have a router you can just block the sites you want or you can use the HOSTS file or by your firewall.
    We dont want to keep tabs on her msn conversations and emails or anything, so it would be pointless to install nanny software. She's set up as a non-administrator now so that she cannot install anything, too.

    Nanny software isn't just for keeping tabs on conversations, you can block sites and see which sites she has been visiting.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/iProtectYou/iprotectyou.html

    I just tested the above program which is free and works really well in pre blocking content rather then spying - looks to see if the kid is access porn, and other sorts of site and then brings up a big warning message - seem good solution to me.
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