# Recommend a PC timer / cutoff program. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086 "2011-09-29T23:58:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/1 "2011-09-29T23:58:12Z")
I need to limit the time on a PC so a friend will go to bed on time. We tried one, but the method needed to actually save the settings was so convoluted that even some scientific experimenting didn’t work. What’s a freeware out there that does this simply and effectively? I’d like it to log out the user and then not let them back on without the password. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/2 "2011-09-30T00:19:38Z")
Which operating system are they using? Assuming it is MS Windows you could use the ‘net user’ command to set time limits for any user account without using additional software. A page describing how is [here](http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/net_user.mspx?mfr=true). It looks complicated but it’s really simple to do. For example if the user account is named “useraccount” and you want that account to only be able to use the computer Monday - Friday from 6 PM to 10 PM, you would just type: net user “useraccount” /time:M-F,18:00-22:00 ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/3 "2011-09-30T00:40:17Z")
Thanks, but that page doesn’t start at the beginning. Where do you type this? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/4 "2011-09-30T00:44:01Z")
use the start menu, run then enter cmd you’ll get a black window with a prompt. enter the command you want. Do you have a separate account set up for your friend? I don’t think you want to limit your own account. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/5 "2011-09-30T00:44:08Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > Thanks, but that page doesn’t start at the beginning. Where do you type this? Oops, at the command prompt while logged in as an Administrator. Go to Start - Run… - and type cmd or Programs - Accessories - Command Prompt ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/6 "2011-09-30T01:15:29Z")
So using this method, I have to put a password on the one user account the computer currently has, and create another for this guy? And he’ll be locked out after the time is up, and can’t fix it without the admin password? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/7 "2011-09-30T01:27:14Z")
That’s correct. Right click the My Computer icon, Manage to open the computer management window. click local users and then users click - Action new user Now you can create an account “freddie” and enter a password. then it’s ready for freddie to use ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/8 "2011-09-30T01:32:23Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > So using this method, I have to put a password on the one user account the computer currently has, and create another for this guy? And he’ll be locked out after the time is up, and can’t fix it without the admin password? There should always be an account with “Administrator” access - you don’t want him to have access to that account or any limitation you try to put in place could be easily bypassed. So he should have a user account that doesn’t have Administrator access - but when you log in to type this command to make changes to that account, you need to be logged in as an Administrator. The simplest thing would probably be to create a new account for him using Windows (control panel - User Accounts - New User Account) and then change the password to the existing account if it has Admin access. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-pc-timer-cutoff-program/598086/9 "2011-09-30T07:56:50Z")
It turns out that Win 7 is even easier. For anyone finding this thread later, the path is: Control Panel - User Accounts - Manage Another Account - Set Up Parental Controls - Account - Time Limits. There’s now a GUI for setting the times. Thanks, everyone.