Help Keep Your Family and PC Safer

After you connect your home network to the Internet, Windows Vista helps you and your family experience the web - and all it has to offer - while reducing how much you need to worry about your family's and computer's security.

The Internet is a great educational resource. In fact, Internet access is a requirement for many students. By using the Parental Controls feature in Windows Vista, you can feel confident that your children will use this resource appropriately. Windows Vista works with Windows Internet Explorer 7 and your PC to help you block access to inappropriate websites and content.

With Windows Vista, you can restrict access to specific programs and games. With the Parental Controls feature in Windows Vista, you can prevent your 10-year-old child from playing games that are suitable only for adults. You may also want to prevent your five-year-old from mistakenly accessing the application that manages your financial records.

The Parental Controls feature lets you restrict access to specific games and programs.

You can even set time limits. For example, you can specify the amount of time your child can use the PC during the day or the week. If you want to review your child's computer use, you can use Windows Vista to create activity reports that provide details of how your child has spent his or her time on the PC. The reports include details such as websites visited, programs used, and games played so that you can change your settings in Parental Controls to refine your child's PC usage.

Activity reports provide details about how your child spends his or her time on the computer.

Windows Vista comes with more security features and built-in protection than any previous version of Windows. For example, Windows Defender constantly monitors your PC to help protect you against spyware and malware. Plus, you can extend this protection by installing additional security applications, such as antivirus software.

You can also opt for a more comprehensive service, such as Windows Live OneCare, which complements the security features of Windows Vista. Windows Live OneCare is a subscription service that automatically delivers ongoing updates and feature enhancements in order to address new and evolving threats. In addition to real-time antivirus protection, Windows Live OneCare provides increased flexibility for backing up your data and keeps your PC optimally tuned. This can help you spend less time worrying about your PC and more time focused on what matters most to you.