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getting kids to log off win xp home

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Steve G

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Feb 5, 2004, 2:46:06 AM2/5/04
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Is there any way using win xp home that I can get my pc to remind my son that it's time to log off the pc and go to bed. He has his own user account on win xp (limited). He'd sit up all night playing games if he could get away with it.
Many thanks.

anon...@discussions.microsoft.com

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Feb 5, 2004, 7:38:47 AM2/5/04
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Yeah walk into the room and say its time to get off now
and go to bed!
Your the parent right?
Then act like one and don't rely on some inanimate object
to be your childs parent.

>.
>

Rehan

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Feb 5, 2004, 9:10:09 AM2/5/04
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No utility or computer restriction can compensate for lack of self
descipline in children. This requires good parenting. However to complement
your parental guidance here is what you can do:

Use the net user command within XP to create these login times profiles for
a user...

Syntax:
net user [UserName [Password | *] [options]] [/domain]

For more information check out the link
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtech
nol/winxppro/proddocs/net_user.asp>

Example: net user steveg
/TIMES:monday-friday,5pm-9pm;saturday,9am-12am;sunday,12am-9pm

The above command restricts steveg use of the pc to evenings (5pm-9pm) on
weekdays and allow all day use on weekends (9am sat to 9pm sunday).

Hope this helps.

Rehan


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anon...@discussions.microsoft.com

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Feb 5, 2004, 9:41:21 AM2/5/04
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I fully agree with the parent comment.
However, I think you can make his account have "active
hours" which allows use only between the hours you specify.
I have no idea if this is broken in home or not.

>.
>

Roger Abell

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Feb 5, 2004, 10:22:35 AM2/5/04
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These settings will only control when the account
may log in. In order to force the account off when
outside of these times one needs to be in a domain.

--
Roger Abell
Microsoft MVP (Windows Server System: Security)
MCSE (W2k3,W2k,Nt4) MCDBA
"Rehan" <re...@nospamntlworld.com> wrote in message
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Steven L Umbach

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Feb 5, 2004, 10:51:22 AM2/5/04
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Does AT work on Home such as [ AT 22:30 /interactive /every:m,t,w,th,f,s,su
logoff ] ?? it would not be very subtle but may get the job done and prevent
him from logging back on if time restrictions were in place. --- Steve


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Torgeir Bakken (MVP)

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Feb 5, 2004, 11:39:04 AM2/5/04
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Roger Abell wrote:

> These settings will only control when the account
> may log in. In order to force the account off when
> outside of these times one needs to be in a domain.

Hi

If you are thinking about the GPO setting "Network security: Force logoff when
logon hours expire", that has nothing to do with a logoff of the user at his
local computer, this setting affects only the Server Message Block (SMB)
component of the server, to remove (or "logoff") connections that the user
has on the server.

--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter


Torgeir Bakken (MVP)

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Feb 5, 2004, 11:42:26 AM2/5/04
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Steve G wrote:

> Is there any way using win xp home that I can get my pc to remind my son that it's time to log off the pc and go to bed. He has his own user account on win xp (limited). He'd sit up all night playing games if he could get away with it.
> Many thanks.

Hi

It looks like this one might be able to help you with this:

Aye Shutdown
http://www.ayesoftware.com/asd/

Rehan

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Feb 5, 2004, 12:36:22 PM2/5/04
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Yes "at" command works on Home and I am quite sure the UI for "at" is also
available:
Start->All programs->Accessories->System Tools->Schedule Tasks

Rehan


"Steven L Umbach" <sum...@nospam-ameritech.net> wrote in message
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Rehan

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Feb 5, 2004, 1:01:16 PM2/5/04
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"Roger Abell" <mvpN...@asu.edu> wrote in message
news:%23ncfiu$6DHA...@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

> These settings will only control when the account
> may log in. In order to force the account off when
> outside of these times one needs to be in a domain.
>

Roger,

Thanks for mentioning this. I forgot to mention about this in my message.

You are right that by default this is the behaviour: if the user is already
logged on the system does not log him off. However this can be fixed by
using:

net accounts /forcelogoff:0

The above command once executed will change the default behaviour. From then
on all users will be logged out automatically once their logon time (as
specified using "net user /times:..." command) expires.


Rehan


-----------------

NET ACCOUNTS
[/FORCELOGOFF:{minutes | NO}] [/MINPWLEN:length]
[/MAXPWAGE:{days | UNLIMITED}] [/MINPWAGE:days]
[/UNIQUEPW:number] [/DOMAIN]


NET ACCOUNTS updates the user accounts database and modifies password
and logon requirements for all accounts.
When used without options, NET ACCOUNTS displays the current settings for
password, logon limitations, and domain information.

Two conditions are required in order for options used with
NET ACCOUNTS to take effect:

_ The password and logon requirements are only effective if user
accounts have been set up (use User Manager or the NET USER command).

_ The Net Logon service must be running on all servers in the domain
that verify logon. Net Logon is started automatically when Windows
starts.

/FORCELOGOFF:{minutes | NO} Sets the number of minutes a user has
before being forced to log off when the
account expires or valid logon hours expire.
NO, the default, prevents forced logoff.
/MINPWLEN:length Sets the minimum number of characters for
a password. The range is 0-14 characters;
the default is 6 characters.
/MAXPWAGE:{days | UNLIMITED} Sets the maximum number of days that a
password is valid. No limit is specified
by using UNLIMITED. /MAXPWAGE can't be less
than /MINPWAGE. The range is 1-999; the
default is 90 days.
/MINPWAGE:days Sets the minimum number of days that must
pass before a user can change a password.
A value of 0 sets no minimum time. The range
is 0-999; the default is 0 days. /MINPWAGE
can't be more than /MAXPWAGE.
/UNIQUEPW:number Requires that a user's passwords be unique
through the specified number of password
changes. The maximum value is 24.
/DOMAIN Performs the operation on a domain
controller of the current domain. Otherwise,
the operation is performed on the local
computer.


Torgeir Bakken (MVP)

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Feb 5, 2004, 2:09:50 PM2/5/04
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Rehan wrote:

> (snip)


> You are right that by default this is the behaviour: if the user is already
> logged on the system does not log him off. However this can be fixed by
> using:
>
> net accounts /forcelogoff:0
>
> The above command once executed will change the default behaviour. From then
> on all users will be logged out automatically once their logon time (as
> specified using "net user /times:..." command) expires.

Hi

Have you actually been able to make that work (logoff the user from
the local computer he is logged into, as a console user)?

If you do a Google newsgroup search for this, you will see that many
have tried, but not succeeded.

And this because as I understand it, this forced logoff policy is a
policy for SMB server, i.e. the computer which has a network share
accessible from a network. This policy, if enabled on a server, ends
the users session with the server when their logon hours expire.

Here is a quote from the documentation for Windows XP's "Net accounts" found at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/proddocs/net_accounts.asp

<quote>

/forcelogoff:{minutes | no}

Sets the number of minutes to wait before ending a user's session
with a server when the user account or valid logon time expires.
The default value, no, prevents users from being forced to log off.

</quote>

Steven L Umbach

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Feb 5, 2004, 2:40:00 PM2/5/04
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That is my experience, it will not logoff a user from the local console. To
do that takes a logoff screensaver or using logoff, shutdown -l, or
PsShutdown -o [SysInternals freeware] via the AT command or Scheduled Tasks.
I only have been able to get PsShutdown to work for all users on a computer
as a Scheduled Task created with administrator credentials. Logoff or
shutdown may already be in the \system32 folder on a W2K/XP Pro
omputer. --- Steve


"Torgeir Bakken (MVP)" <Torgeir.B...@hydro.com> wrote in message
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Rehan

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Feb 6, 2004, 7:19:04 AM2/6/04
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OK I admit I havent tried it for local accounts. I presumed it works as
stated in the help. Bummer...

None of the other solution such as "at"/scheduled task would work according
to the requirement of this issue since these will blindly log off the
current user whoever he/she is without looking his/her logon hours profile.
Ideally one wants to logoff only those users whose logon hours have expired.

Hmmm....

Rehan


"Steven L Umbach" <sum...@nospam-ameritech.net> wrote in message

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Torgeir Bakken (MVP)

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Feb 6, 2004, 1:24:07 PM2/6/04
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Rehan wrote:

> OK I admit I havent tried it for local accounts. I presumed it works as
> stated in the help. Bummer...
>
> None of the other solution such as "at"/scheduled task would work according
> to the requirement of this issue since these will blindly log off the
> current user whoever he/she is without looking his/her logon hours profile.
> Ideally one wants to logoff only those users whose logon hours have expired.

That could be scripted of course...

Steven L Umbach

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Feb 6, 2004, 3:27:04 PM2/6/04
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That's understandable based on the description of /forcelogoff. I suggested
using AT or such to force a logoff at a particular time based on users logon
hours, such as five minutes after which would then force logoff and user
would not be able to log back on because of being outside of permitted
hours. Of course that solution would only work on a computer where all users
had same logon time restrictions, but it may fit the bill for the current
situation. --- Steve

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