KidSafe

[guinness]

Added To TPFC: http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=1678
Vote Now!

This has had a very big following on PortableApps (.PAF version available.)

[joby_toss]

This is not an "idiot proof" application!
I caught my ears in it!
Started it and didn't know how to disable it!

It's hard for me to vote for this ...

[guinness]

when you start it for the first time you create a password, then when the beach scene is showing to exit it you simply type in that password you initially set!

[joby_toss]

I did exactly that and it kept saying it's not the correct one ...
Good thing it's easy to by-pass.

Edit: let's give it another shot! Wish me luck!

Later edit: yeap, it works! I must've hit the wrong buttons the first time ... my fingers really hurt after 4 hours of "chainsaw massacre"!

[Checker]

... my fingers really hurt after 4 hours of "chainsaw massacre"!

I've learned, that you are a M.D. (medical doctor).
Is that the way you describe you daily duty?

[joby_toss]

I've learned, that you are a M.D. (medical doctor).
Is that the way you describe you daily duty?

Didn't expect this one! 'Spilled my tea!
Even doctors need heat.
And mine comes from a boiler that eats wood like there's no tomorrow!
And I like to chop/cut it together with my father.

And about KidSafe now: voted for it. I see from the comments that at least one of the developers is watching, which is always a nice thing.

[computerfreaker]

Hi!

KidSafe head developer here; thanks for posting it, guinness!

This is not an "idiot proof" application!
I caught my ears in it!
Started it and didn't know how to disable it!

It's hard for me to vote for this ...

I see you managed to get it working later, but I would like to know what happened. If it was a KidSafe bug, I'll fix it; if it was some unexpected behavior that caused you trouble, I'll change it to something more standard.

I see from the comments that at least one of the developers is watching, which is always a nice thing.

I plead guilty as charged.

rmcomputerlover is actually a bit ahead of the game here; the new version (0.25.6.0) won't be out for a day or two yet. I sent him a beta build for testing earlier today, and apparently we got our wires crossed. I will let you guys know as soon as the new version is out, though.

Cheers!

computerfreaker

P. S. If anybody has a bug report or feature request, don't hesitate to say so. Bug fixes are generally pretty quick (usually within two days, sometimes within two hours, of the time I get the report), and feature additions are frequently as quick.

[joby_toss]

I see you managed to get it working later, but I would like to know what happened. If it was a KidSafe bug, I'll fix it; if it was some unexpected behavior that caused you trouble, I'll change it to something more standard.

I'm sure it was entirely my fault!
I remember opening "Prefs.dat" file (got it after starting the app in Sandboxie) and checking the "UnlockText" string, and I think I clicked and change it (didn't realize it is stored encrypted).
Trying to do such "innocent" tricks is kind of a burden of us, portable freaks!

[guinness]

Its really cool to see that PortableApps are coming over to the underground world of Portable Software!

KidSafe head developer here; thanks for posting it, guinness!

No Problem! I always keep a look out in the Development forum and this caught my eye when it was V4 (before you did the version number changing!) I love the rapid development and the constant bug testing/fixing you do.
Its always nice to have developers on this forum for purposes of annoying the hell out you

I will let you guys know as soon as the new version is out, though.

Cool! But don't think you too, we have the 'eye' watching all the time.

And for those asking why not use Win + L -

Q. Won't Windows+L or a password-protected screensaver do the same thing as KidSafe?
A. No. KidSafe has more features than Windows + L or the Windows screen saver. Like a screen saver, KidSafe can be customized to run after a certain period of inactivity; it also supports a hotkey and a tray icon. Windows + L can cut off some processes (e.g. it always pauses my virus scanner and media player, and turns off my Internet); KidSafe doesn’t do that. The Windows screen saver requires a period of inactivity – hard to get if a little kid if pounding your keyboard – but KidSafe’s hotkey and tray icon make instantly locking your machine easy.
KidSafe also has more locking capabilities than Windows + L or a password-protected screensaver. For example, you can still open the CD tray while your screensaver is running; however, you can't do that if you set the appropriate option in KidSafe.

[Onesimus Prime]

A few feature requests...

Would it be possible to make KidSafe override Win+L (and any other Winkey combos it doesn't right now)? As was said earlier, "Windows + L can cut off some processes"--which is why I'm using KidSafe to start with. I don't want somebody else coming along and pushing that!

Also, I unzipped the .zip with Windows' standard extract tool, got KidSafe all set up with a custom picture, noticed that it was one directory deeper than I wanted it, and so moved it up one directory leve. Only problem? The path to the picture is absolute, hard-coded in the prefs.dat file. In your .paf version, does the launcher handle this? Something relative (optimally, in my opinion, potentially based off the program's own directory) would be nice...

Thanks!

*edit* I guess it can be done manually? I tried BackgroundGraphic=.\Data\MyPicture.bmp in the .dat file, and it seems to work. But for the portable version, a relative path might be preferable as the default...

[computerfreaker]

Would it be possible to make KidSafe override Win+L (and any other Winkey combos it doesn't right now)? As was said earlier, "Windows + L can cut off some processes"--which is why I'm using KidSafe to start with. I don't want somebody else coming along and pushing that!

Already there - "Disable Windows key (a.k.a. Start key)"

Also, I unzipped the .zip with Windows' standard extract tool, got KidSafe all set up with a custom picture, noticed that it was one directory deeper than I wanted it, and so moved it up one directory leve. Only problem? The path to the picture is absolute, hard-coded in the prefs.dat file. In your .paf version, does the launcher handle this? Something relative (optimally, in my opinion, potentially based off the program's own directory) would be nice...

!@#$
Forgot to take care of that before; it's done now. (Get 0.25.6.0, hot off the compiler, for the fix)
Thanks for the report!

*edit* I guess it can be done manually? I tried BackgroundGraphic=.\Data\MyPicture.bmp in the .dat file, and it seems to work. But for the portable version, a relative path might be preferable as the default...

Yes, setting the path manually works, but now there's an automated relative setting in place. It uses the Windows API to get a relative path, so the accuracy should be perfect or close to perfect.

Thanks for the reports!

computerfreaker

[computerfreaker]

KidSafe 0.34.0.0 is out; there are a lot of changes, so head over to Google Code and pick it up!
http://code.google.com/p/kidsafe

[guinness]

Done! I found that I had to delete the Default folder in the locales folder because it was automatically using Default and not English!

[Onesimus Prime]

I've got "Disable Windows key (a.k.a. Start key)" checked, but Win+L still works on my system (Vista Enterprise SP1).

I was working on an AHK script--a countdown timer that uses a tooltip to continuously show the remaining time. Basically, when it finished, the tool tip was on top of KidSafe, and clicking on it brought the taskbar to the forefront.
I also ran into issues with the same script where something would manage to steal the focus from KidSafe, though not get on top. So I could interact with KidSafe using the mouse, but all keyboard input was ignored! That's when the Win+L bug came in handy; going to the locked screen and logging back in restored the use of the keyboard for me in KidSafe.

The .zip file (of the previous version--and I don't even know about the .paf) includes a prefs.dat file already. So if I upgrade by simply unzipping a new one over an old one, won't it destroy my settings? Some program (like Nir Sofer's) don't include the config/settings file in the .zip, but create it at first run (if it's not already present), Just a thought.

[computerfreaker]

Done! I found that I had to delete the Default folder in the locales folder because it was automatically using Default and not English!

I'll drop 0.25.6.1 in a few minutes; that Default locale was for testing the translations, and shouldn't have made it out. (It actually didn't make it out for the original 0.25.6.0 release, but I went back to change something, and forgot to remove it for the second 0.25.6.0)
UPDATE: 0.25.6.1 is out, with no Default folder on board. Thanks for the report!