WatchDog Parental Control software limits, protects and monitors what your children and other users do on your computer. Limit how much they use the computer and when. Put time limits on programs or stop them from ever running. Block Web sites and other Web material. Protect your Windows machine by restricting where they go and what they can change. Monitor Web sites, applications, chat rooms and emails. Record every key stroke and take screen shots of the session. Spy on what they're doing from wherever you are.

WatchDog is ideal for: Parents who want to limit how much time their children spend on the computer and what they can do on the internet. Libraries and Schools to lock down their computer systems and kick off users who hog the machines. Cyber Cafes that want to bill customers for computer usage and restrict what they can do.

Editor's review of pcParent Watchdog

While this application provides several parental control features for managing computer use, its numerous options may be overwhelming, particularly to novice users. pcParent Watchdog offers three security modes and uses a mundane but functional interface. Like similar apps, the program allows users to create, delete, and manage user accounts; define time limits and ranges for PC and Internet usage; and grant bonus time. You can restrict access to certain programs, hard drives, and Web sites, and disable Control Panel applets, Start Menu items, Internet Explorer, and some Windows registry settings. What's more, you can set pcParent Watchdog to capture screenshots, and also monitor visited Web sites, launched applications, and keyboard activity.

The program keeps detailed log reports and time usage statistics. You can even charge users for their time spent. Happily, it can't be uninstalled or disabled via the Task Manager. It synchronizes your clock with a few atomic servers and prevents PC-savvy kids from tampering with your machine's date and time. Our only complaint: pcParent Watchdog works only with Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers. All in all, pcParent Watchdog's wealth of features may initially appear confusing, but once you get going you'll see that it's well worth the effort.