There are third-party applications that offer parents the option to monitor and control child activities on the computer, but Windows 7, just as its precursor, comes with parental control capabilities by default. From the account of computer administrator, users can turn on Parental Controls and ensure that the settings defined will be enforced for the specific accounts used by children on the same machine. Of course, parents will have to make sure that children only use the accounts created for them, and that they do not have access to the administrator account, or the privileges that come with it, for that matter.

As you can see from the screenshot included below, there are various settings which can be tweaked. Windows 7 customers will be able to set Time Limits, specify which games can and cannot be played on the computer, and even allow or block an application.

“You can use Parental Controls to help manage how your children use the computer. For example, you can set limits on the hours that your children can use the computer, the types of games they can play, and the programs they can run,” Microsoft explained. “When Parental Controls blocks access to a game or program, a notification is displayed that the program has been blocked. Your child can click a link in the notification to request permission for access to that game or program. You can allow access by entering your account information.”

The Redmond company has put together a video featuring Tiffany Teichrow, designed to explain the Windows 7 Parental Controls feature, and how it can be leveraged by parents to make sure that children are protected from online threats and inappropriate content.

“To set up Parental Controls for your child, you'll need your own administrator user account. Before you get started, make sure each child that you want to set up Parental Controls for has a standard user account. Parental Controls can be applied only to standard user accounts,” the company added.