I have 3 children who like to hop on the pc whenever they can, is there a way to disable there ability to add any programs to xp? I have tried user accounts but found many programs will not work on the limited account, if they end up installing a load of spyware related rubbish as they do ultimately, it means i have to reinstall the sim and windows again, which is a real pain, i know this is off topic but hope some of you tech guys can helpThanks Paul.

Install another windows (double boot system) and leave it to your kids. Keep your locked.The windows (registries) won't "see" each other and whatever is done to one won't affect the other.http://www.fspassengers.com/images/banner/sig/sdc8.jpg

If you can, buy a second "cheap" computer. Dell has cheap ones starting at about $300, so I imagine other companies would be about the same. Better still, upgrade your Flight Sim computer, and let the kiddies go at the old one. Maybe cost is an issue, I don't know...- Martin

Norton Ghost or an equivalent is a useful tool: You take a snapshot of your entire computer at one point in time, store it (either on a second HDD, or removable storage like a DVD if it is small enough). When something goes pear-shaped, you just dump the ghost image back over the broken one and you are back to where you were. Run it overnight once a week or so and when it all does die, you won't have anywhere near as much to reinstall.Oh, and unless you make major hardware changes, you won't need to keep reactivating Windows, Office, etc. either.Ian P.

WX Pro or XP Home? I think with Pro use can define groups (Power Users, etc) that have somewhat more control over what they can and cannot do that with the limited account. No an expert tho. Try the Windows XP support forum also.

I'm all for the new computer option. Only way to keep there stuff off is to keep them off.I think if you look at all the time you've wasted cleaning and reloading, the cost/benefit analysis is quite clear.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com/FC_StartJava.html] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)

I also suggest the second PC... If there's not a lot of space in your home, you can even share your monitor, keyboard and mouse between the two. You can password protect the bootup through the bios on your MSFS system so the kids know if they want a PC, they have to use theirs. -John

There is a disaster waiting to happen here, as youwell suspect.Either keep them off it entirely or strictly only let themuse it while you're within eye-shot. This means leaving thecomputer in the living area. It's not advisable to let themhave it in their own room, if they're young.Peter Sydney Australia

I would suggest a different sort of control mechanism. I told my children that if I find a program on the family computer that I didn't install, there ends their computer adventuring for a good long time. It only took a couple tests of willpower (followed swiftly and surely by a month of computer-free living) to alter the behavior. Low tech? Yes...but properly done, it's far more effective than leaving the job of parenting to Bill Gates and the boys in Redmond.RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Santiago de Chile

Hi Paul;My solution for the College where I work was to install a product called "DeepFreeze" on every student desktop. http://www.faronics.com/index.asp(You can obtain a single workstation copy for around U$25.) Our issue was that students will download and install every add-on that's humanly possibly on every pc they can. There are approx 6 students per day on each pc, x 7 days per week, x 35 students per class x perhaps 60 labs.etc., and within two weeks the machines needed re-imaging (Norton Ghost) to fix it. Unfortunately that doesn't prevent worms, unwanted software and - more especially - keyloggers from being active during that time. It was entirely solved with DeepFreeze. The computer is rebooted and, voila! - a fresh computer - exactly as when freshly re-imaged. It has many more features than I can describe here, but is really handy when you want to add a new AFCAD, say, or a new landclass and something screws up. Meeses up FlightSim? - Reboot. Fixed! A four-finger unlock will allow you to run the pc as you wish to - FS, Call of Duty - Word, whatever, and then you simply reboot and let the kids try to destroy it. It has been around in the education circle for a few years, but it has been very much modernised over the last three, thanks to current high-speed technology. Try it - you'll like it!

"messes" . . . duh!