Smart Parenting is a very effective method to control the Internet access, application access, and computer access for children and other users. This feature ensures that the children and other users do not visit inappropriate types of Web sites.
Parents can also limit access to the computer and Internet on a day and time basis.
Ensure that you configure the following options before you configure Smart Parenting.
First step
Check if you are logged in as an Administrative user to the computer on which you have installed Quick Heal Total Security. In case you are not an administrative user, we recommend that you create an Administrator account and configure it. Do not share the administrative credentials with the users for whom you are creating restricted accounts. See Creating Administrative Accounts
Second step
Create separate Standard accounts (Restricted user) for your children or other users. This way, they will have only limited access to the computer. This also helps you apply different protection policies to different users. The protection policies could include website preferences for each restricted user and a schedule for Internet access. See Creating Restricted Accounts.
Third step
Set a password to restrict unauthorized users from modifying the settings or removing Quick Heal Total Security from the computer. To see how to set password to Quick Heal Total Security, see Quick Heal Password Protection.
a. Configuring Smart Parenting
To configure Smart Parenting, follow these steps:
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting > Smart Parenting.
- Click the > icon.
- Under Select Users to apply the settings on, select one of the following options:
- Apply to all users: Select this option if you want to apply the same setting to all users.If you have not configured this option, you will see a Not Configured status message displayed for that option. Click the Settings icon to configure further.
- Apply to specific users: Select this option if you want to apply different settings to different users. If you select the Apply to specific users option, a list of all users is displayed below.
If you have not configured this option, you will see a Not Configured status message displayed for that option. Click the Settings icon to configure further.
- Select Display alert message, if you want to receive alert message when the users visit a blocked website.
- To configure further settings, click configure icon under Select users to apply the settings on. Users are displayed based on the options whether you have selected Apply to all users or Apply to specific users.
The protection rules screen appears. You can configure any or all of the following options based on your requirement.- Internet Browsing Manager
- Application Access Manager
- Internet Access Scheduler
- Device Access Scheduler
- After configuration, click Save to save your settings.
The Smart Parenting setting details screen appears.
b. Internet Browsing Manager
Internet Browsing Manager includes the following options.
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting.
The Smart Parenting setting details screen appears. - In Select users to apply the settings on, select one the users as required and click Settings icon to configure further settings.
- In the Internet Browsing Manager section, select Block Website Categories to block websites by category. A list of website categories appears with corresponding toggle buttons to allow access if turned on.
You can do the following:- Turn off the toggle button under Allow Access for a category to block access to that category for the selected users.
- Select by pre-defined age groups to apply the access to pre-configured categories suitably defined by age group. Select an age group and the access rights will change for categories accordingly
- Revert to the default settings anytime by selecting the Default option.
- Click OK to save the settings.
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting.
The Smart Parenting details screen appears. - In Select Users to apply the settings on, select one of the users as required and click the Settings icon to configure further settings.
- Navigate to Block website URLs and click + Add.
- To add websites to the list of websites to be blocked, enter the URL of a website and then click ADD
- If you want to block all subdomains of the website, select option Block subdomain.
- For example, if you block www.abc.com and its subdomains, the subdomains such as mail.abc.com and news.abc.com will also be blocked.
- Select a website in the list and click the Remove icon to remove a particular website from the block list.
- Click OK and then click OK.
- To save your settings, click Save.
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting.
- In Select users to apply the settings on, select one of the users as required and click the Settings icon to configure further settings:
- Navigate to Exclude websites from blocking and click Add.
- To add websites to the exclusion list of websites, click + Add button. In the Enter website text box, enter the URL of a website and then click Add.
- If you want to exclude all subdomains of the website, select option Exclude subdomain.
- Select a website in the list and click the Remove icon to remove a particular website from the block list.
For example, if you block www.abc.com and its subdomains, the subdomains such as mail.abc.com and news.abc.com will also be blocked.
- Click OK and then click OK.
- To save your settings, click Save.
i. Block Website categories
With this feature, you can block access to the websites by categories.
If you restrict a website category, all the websites under that category will be blocked.
If you want to block most of the websites in a category but allow certain websites in that category, you can do so by restricting that category and enlisting such websites in the exclusion list.
To restrict access to the website categories, follow these steps:
ii. Block Website URLs
With this feature, you can block access to specific websites by URLs or domain names. This is helpful when you want to restrict access to certain websites or if you have a shorter list of websites to restrict.
This option is also helpful when a website does not fall in a selected category or you have restricted a website category, yet a certain website is still accessible.
To block access to specific websites, follow these steps:
iii. Exclude websites from blocking
You can exclude specific websites by URL or domain names if required when the parent category is blocked by using the exclude websites from blocking option.
This is helpful when you want to exclude certain websites when you have already blocked the specific category to which that website belongs.
To exclude specific websites, follow these steps:
The Smart Parenting setting details screen appears.
c. Application Access Manager
You can block access to applications by categories or exclude certain applications even though the category for that application is blocked.
Application Control includes the following options.
Note: Application Control feature will function only if Virus Protection is enabled.
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting.
- In Select users to apply the settings on, select one of the users as required and click the Settings icon to configure further settings.
- Click Application Access Manager.
- On the Application Access Manager screen, navigate to Block application categories and click Select.
- Toggle the access buttons as required to allow access or deny for the application categories. Toggle once to turn on and again to turn off.
- Click OK to save your settings.
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting .
The Smart Parenting setting details screen appears. - Under Select users to apply the settings on, select one of the users as required and click Settings icon to configure further settings.
- Click Application Access Manager.
- On the Application Access Manager screen, navigate to Block Applications and click + Add.
A list of blocked applications if any appears - Browse and select the application that you want to block. An application is represented only by an .exe file extension.
- You can remove an added application by selecting the application and clicking the Remove button icon
- Click OK to save the block applications list.
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting.
- Under Select users to apply the settings on, select one of the users as required and click the Settings icon to configure further settings:
- Click Application Access Manager.
- On the Application Access Manager screen, navigate to Exclude application from blocking and click + Add.
A list of excluded applications if any appears. - Browse and select the application that you want to be excluded. An application is represented only by an exe file extension.
- Click OK to save the application exclusion list.
i. Block application categories
With this feature, you can block access to the applications by categories.
If you block an application category, all the applications under that category will be blocked.
If you want to block most of the applications in a category but allow certain applications in that category, you can do so by restricting that category and enlisting such applications in the exclusion list.
To restrict access to the categories of applications, follow these steps:
The Smart Parenting Control details screen appears.
A list of applications with corresponding toggle buttons to allow access is displayed.
The following table describes the categories.
Categories | Description |
---|---|
CD/DVD Applications | Includes applications such as AC3 Filter, Alcohol, Alcohol 120%, AnyDVD, BlindWrite, and so on. |
Chat Applications | Includes applications such as Camfrog Video Chat, ManyCam, Skype, and so on. |
Download Manager | Includes applications such as Akamai Netsession, aTube Catcher, DamnVid, Download Manager Plus DownloadStudio, and so on. |
Email Clients | Includes applications such as FlashMail, Foxmail, Idea!, Lotus Notes Client, Novell Groupwise, The Bat!, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, and so on. |
File Sharing Applications | Includes applications such as Ares, BearShare, BitComet, BitTorrent, and so on. |
Games | Includes applications such as 3D Sniper, 4st Attack, Adrenaline Rush, Agent Combat, Air Hawk, and so on. |
Media Players | Includes applications such as AIMP3, ALLPlayer, Audacity, Avidemux, BS Player, and so on. |
Miscellaneous | Includes applications such as 2X Client, Advanced SystemCare, AquaSnap, Autoruns, Checksum Control, and so on. |
Web Proxy | Includes 602LAN SUITE, Anon Proxy Server, CCProxy, Fast and Secure Gateway to applications such as Internet Freedom, and so on. |
USB Modems | Includes applications such as Huawei and so on. |
Web Browsers | Includes applications such as America Online, Avant Browser, Comodo Dragon, Firefox, Google Chrome, and so on. |
ii. Block applications
With this feature, you can block user access to specific applications. This is helpful when you want to restrict user access to certain applications or if you have a shorter list of applications to restrict.
This option is also helpful when an application does not fall in a selected category or you have restricted an application category yet a certain application is still accessible.
To restrict access to a particular application, follow these steps:
Note: Selecting the Application path will apply this selection to all applications in the path.
iii. Exclude applications from blocking
This option is helpful when an application does not fall in a selected category or you have blocked an application category yet you want a certain application to be still accessible.
With this feature, you can exclude specific applications from blocked categories also.
To exclude specific applications, follow these steps:
The Smart Parenting Control setting details screen appears.
d. Internet access Scheduler
With this feature, you can manage the time slots for your users or children to access Internet as per the configured time slot only. As soon as the configured time slot lapses, the device will be locked.
However, they can log on with their credentials after the allotted time is over but for forty-five seconds only. They can log in as many times as they prefer, the device will be locked every forty-five seconds.
To set Schedule Internet access, follow these steps:
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting.
The Smart Parenting setting details screen appears. - Under Select users to apply the settings, select one of the users as required and click the Settings icon to configure further settings.
- In the Internet Access Scheduler click Schedule.
- Select any of the following options:
- Always allow access to the Internet: Select this option if you want to allow other users the Internet access without any restriction.
- Allow access to the Internet as per the schedule: Select this option if you want to set a time-slot for accessing the Internet. Select the time slots as required and click OK. The selected cells are highlighted which indicates the allowed schedule.
Users can access the computer only during the allowed time window. - Click OK.
e. Device Access Scheduler
With this feature, you can manage usage of your device (PC) by your children or users as per the configured time slot only. As soon as the configured time slot lapses, the device will be locked.
However, they can log on with their credentials after the allotted time is over but for forty-five seconds only. They can log in as many times as they prefer, the computer will be locked every forty-five seconds.
To configure PC Access Control, follow these steps:
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to Privacy > Smart Parenting.
The Smart Parenting setting details screen appears. - Click a user available under Select users to apply the settings on. Users are displayed based on the options whether you have selected Apply to all users or Apply to specific users.
- In Select Users to apply the settings on select one of the users as required and click the Settings icon to configure further settings.
- In Device Access Scheduler,click Schedule.
- Select one of the following options as required:
- Always allow access to the device: Select this option if you want to allow users to access your computer without any restriction.
- Allow access to device as per the schedule: Select this option if you want to set a time-slot for accessing the computer.
- Daily access time limit: Lets you allot time on hourly basis. Users can access the computer for the allowed time duration at any point of time during a day.
- Daily access time-slots (clock time): Select the cells for the days and times during which you want to allow access to the computer. Users can access the computer only during the allowed time window.
For above options, select the hours or time slots as required.
The selected cells are highlighted which indicates the allowed schedule.
- You can configure further options that are available.
- Click OK.
f. Creating an Administration account
To create an Administrators account, follow these steps:
- Click Start > Control Panel .
- Click User Accounts.
Your account type is displayed below your username. If it is not an Administrator account, then you need to change it to Administrator Account to enable Quick Heal smart parenting for other users.
g. Quick Heal Password Protection
You can protect the settings and configurations of Quick Heal by turning Password Protection on. Password Protection ensures that your settings are protected from modification by any unauthorized users.
To enable Password Protection, follow these steps:
- Open Quick Heal Total Security.
- On the left pane, navigate to More > Settings and then click Password Protection. Turn Password Protection on.
The Password Protection feature is turned off by default.
- In Enter password text box, enter a new password if you are setting the password for the first time, and then enter the same password in Confirm password.
If you are setting the password for the first time, then Enter old password will not be available.
- To enable safe mode protection, select Enable password protection for Safe mode.
- Click Save.
h. Creating restricted user accounts or local user accounts
The standard/restricted/limited user account prevents other users from taking full control of the computer. This helps prevent a user from making any changes that may affect security privileges. A restricted user account is also known as a local user account.
Creating a local user account:
- Select Start > Settings > Accounts and then select Family & other users. (In some versions of Windows you'll see Other users.)
- Next to Add other user, select Add account.
- Select I don't have this person's sign-in information, and on the next page, select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
- Enter a user name, password, or password hint—or choose security questions—and then select Next.
- Click Add a user without a Microsoft account and then click Next.
- On the Create a User for this PC dialog box, enter a username and password, re-enter and confirm password.
- Click Next.
- Set the security questions to retrieve password in case you forget the password.
- Click Next. A new local User account is created.