LiteStep does make a good kidsafe or childproff shell for ..

[user]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

For Windows 9x/ME/XP Home (since NT/2K/XP Pro already have group
policies in place)

I found out by playing around with LiteStep and with the likes of Mark
Overmar's ChildProof, LiteStep does make a good kidsafe shell for
Windows, in fact, its more secure than most (even the $$$ ones); Since
I've been playing around with some of the features, such as disabling
the menubar, desktop icons, even windows hot keys and modifying the
popup main menu with custom applications, LiteStep can be made nearly as
secure and nearly as safe as any child proofing program out there.

It makes having to edit the registry for specific HKCU values less
likely too.




------
Woodzy
http://www.rtdos.com/wintel

 

[vanguard]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

"(ProteanThread)" <rtdos@rtdos.com> wrote in message
news:uVs%234j%23JFHA.3196@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> For Windows 9x/ME/XP Home (since NT/2K/XP Pro already have group
> policies in place)
>
> I found out by playing around with LiteStep and with the likes of Mark
> Overmar's ChildProof, LiteStep does make a good kidsafe shell for
> Windows, in fact, its more secure than most (even the $$$ ones);
> Since I've been playing around with some of the features, such as
> disabling the menubar, desktop icons, even windows hot keys and
> modifying the popup main menu with custom applications, LiteStep can
> be made nearly as secure and nearly as safe as any child proofing
> program out there.
>
> It makes having to edit the registry for specific HKCU values less
> likely too.


To clarify, are you talking about
http://sourceforge.net/projects/litestep which is a replacement for the
standard Explorer desktop (and which hasn't released any files yet)?

Are you running that on an upstream host through which the kids computer
connects and to which they do NOT have physical access? Otherwise, all
they have to do is boot to a different OS and bypass all your software
protections, like install another instance of Windows in a different
partition or use a bootable CD.

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

"Vanguard" <use_ReplyTo_header> wrote in message
news:eIcccr$JFHA.1176@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> "(ProteanThread)" <rtdos@rtdos.com> wrote in message
> news:uVs%234j%23JFHA.3196@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> > For Windows 9x/ME/XP Home (since NT/2K/XP Pro already have group
> > policies in place)
> >
> > I found out by playing around with LiteStep and with the likes of Mark
> > Overmar's ChildProof, LiteStep does make a good kidsafe shell for
> > Windows, in fact, its more secure than most (even the $$$ ones);
> > Since I've been playing around with some of the features, such as
> > disabling the menubar, desktop icons, even windows hot keys and
> > modifying the popup main menu with custom applications, LiteStep can
> > be made nearly as secure and nearly as safe as any child proofing
> > program out there.
> >
> > It makes having to edit the registry for specific HKCU values less
> > likely too.
>
>
> To clarify, are you talking about
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/litestep which is a replacement for the
> standard Explorer desktop (and which hasn't released any files yet)?
>
> Are you running that on an upstream host through which the kids computer
> connects and to which they do NOT have physical access? Otherwise, all
> they have to do is boot to a different OS and bypass all your software
> protections, like install another instance of Windows in a different
> partition or use a bootable CD.
>
> --
In all practicality I think you have to give consideration to both the age
and the expertise of the "child". How many 8 year olds could do a side by
side install of a second OS?


--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp

 

[user]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

Vanguard wrote:
>
> To clarify, are you talking about
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/litestep which is a replacement for the
> standard Explorer desktop (and which hasn't released any files yet)?

Yes

>
> Are you running that on an upstream host through which the kids computer
> connects and to which they do NOT have physical access? Otherwise, all
> they have to do is boot to a different OS and bypass all your software
> protections, like install another instance of Windows in a different
> partition or use a bootable CD.
>

Most kids won't have that knowledge.


--
Woodzy

http://www.rtdos.com (alt OS for games based on the classics)
http://o.webring.com/hub?ring=awrbr ( AbandonWarez ring )

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

"(ProteanThread)" <rtdos@rtdos.com> wrote in message
news:OQ7wXaAKFHA.2772@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Vanguard wrote:
>>
>> To clarify, are you talking about
>> http://sourceforge.net/projects/litestep which is a replacement for the
>> standard Explorer desktop (and which hasn't released any files yet)?
>
> Yes
>
>>
>> Are you running that on an upstream host through which the kids computer
>> connects and to which they do NOT have physical access? Otherwise, all
>> they have to do is boot to a different OS and bypass all your software
>> protections, like install another instance of Windows in a different
>> partition or use a bootable CD.
>>
>
> Most kids won't have that knowledge.

Depends on what age you're calling a "kid." I know one 12-year old who built
his own computer from the ground up, and considering that kids are learning
about computers in pre-school, a lot of the kids know more than their
parents. If the parents can figure out how to install it, the kids can
figure out how to disable it.

If you're talking a household where the oldest kid is eight, yeah, it's
probably safe. But an older sibling could nullify the whole project.

 

[vanguard]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

"(ProteanThread)" <rtdos@rtdos.com> wrote in message
news:OQ7wXaAKFHA.2772@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Vanguard wrote:
>>
>> To clarify, are you talking about
>> http://sourceforge.net/projects/litestep which is a replacement for
>> the standard Explorer desktop (and which hasn't released any files
>> yet)?
>
> Yes
>
>>
>> Are you running that on an upstream host through which the kids
>> computer connects and to which they do NOT have physical access?
>> Otherwise, all they have to do is boot to a different OS and bypass
>> all your software protections, like install another instance of
>> Windows in a different partition or use a bootable CD.
>>
>
> Most kids won't have that knowledge.


If they can manage to do web searches and ask in newsgroups, yes, they
do. It depends on the school the kid goes to and if the parent allow
free reign of the computer without supervision. Since LiteStep is a
replacement desktop, trying to control it upstream would be difficult (I
didn't know that at the time and at the end of my post added the first
paragraph when trying to come up with a possibility of which "LiteStep"
the user might be talking about since no URL was provided).

I'm not quite sure why the OP is proselytizing software that has no
released files at http://sourceforge.net/projects/litestep. Maybe the
home page at http://www.lsdev.org/ might have some files available for
download except that the site has been unreachable to check.

To circumvent the kid from booting from other media, the parent will
need to go into the BIOS and do a couple things: (1) Change the boot
device order and which devices are included to ensure the kid cannot
boot from a CD, zip drive, floppy, etc.; and, (2) Set a password to
enter the BIOS (but not necessarily to boot the machine) to prevent the
kid from resetting the BIOS settings; and (3) Use security screws or
security locking devices to prevent entry inside the desktop to keep the
kid from removing the CMOS battery and/or shorting the reset jumper.

Presumably the adult is also giving the kid a limited account that
cannot install software and cannot edit the registry. Otherwise, the
kid will simply install a keylogger to monitor the passwords for the
adults' accounts with admin privileges and edit the registry to change
which desktop shell gets loaded
(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon, Shell).

--
____________________________________________________________
Post your replies to the newsgroup. Share with others.
E-mail reply: Remove "NIXTHIS" and add "#VS811" to Subject.
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[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

I will consider myself a productive parent if my child can accomplish
these tasks by the time she starts school.

--
Parley D. Kennelly
Southern California Realtor®
http://www.joverenterprises.com
"Vanguard" <use_ReplyTo_header> wrote in message
news:O0QNOwFKFHA.2920@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> "(ProteanThread)" <rtdos@rtdos.com> wrote in message
> news:OQ7wXaAKFHA.2772@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> Vanguard wrote:
>>>
>>> To clarify, are you talking about
>>> http://sourceforge.net/projects/litestep which is a replacement
>>> for the standard Explorer desktop (and which hasn't released any
>>> files yet)?
>>
>> Yes
>>
>>>
>>> Are you running that on an upstream host through which the kids
>>> computer connects and to which they do NOT have physical access?
>>> Otherwise, all they have to do is boot to a different OS and
>>> bypass all your software protections, like install another
>>> instance of Windows in a different partition or use a bootable CD.
>>>
>>
>> Most kids won't have that knowledge.
>
>
> If they can manage to do web searches and ask in newsgroups, yes,
> they do. It depends on the school the kid goes to and if the parent
> allow free reign of the computer without supervision. Since
> LiteStep is a replacement desktop, trying to control it upstream
> would be difficult (I didn't know that at the time and at the end of
> my post added the first paragraph when trying to come up with a
> possibility of which "LiteStep" the user might be talking about
> since no URL was provided).
>
> I'm not quite sure why the OP is proselytizing software that has no
> released files at http://sourceforge.net/projects/litestep. Maybe
> the home page at http://www.lsdev.org/ might have some files
> available for download except that the site has been unreachable to
> check.
>
> To circumvent the kid from booting from other media, the parent will
> need to go into the BIOS and do a couple things: (1) Change the boot
> device order and which devices are included to ensure the kid cannot
> boot from a CD, zip drive, floppy, etc.; and, (2) Set a password to
> enter the BIOS (but not necessarily to boot the machine) to prevent
> the kid from resetting the BIOS settings; and (3) Use security
> screws or security locking devices to prevent entry inside the
> desktop to keep the kid from removing the CMOS battery and/or
> shorting the reset jumper.
>
> Presumably the adult is also giving the kid a limited account that
> cannot install software and cannot edit the registry. Otherwise,
> the kid will simply install a keylogger to monitor the passwords for
> the adults' accounts with admin privileges and edit the registry to
> change which desktop shell gets loaded
> (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
> NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon, Shell).
>
> --
> ____________________________________________________________
> Post your replies to the newsgroup. Share with others.
> E-mail reply: Remove "NIXTHIS" and add "#VS811" to Subject.
> ____________________________________________________________
>