How long has he been on?

August 19, 2006 8:23 AM

Looking for a simple application to monitor the time a user has spent logged in in Windows XP.

I'm looking for a simple application that will help a user (my 6 year old) and his parents monitor how long he has been logged in on his Windows XP account (on a daily basis). The basic idea is to set time limits, and encourage "responsible" use of computer time. Any suggestion?

posted by bluefrog to computers & internet (3 comments total)

The information, in a basic form, is probably already there. Have a look in the "Security" section of the Event Viewer:

Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance, then click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management. Or, open the MMC containing the Event Viewer snap-in. In the console tree, click Event Viewer.

The Application, Security, and System logs are displayed in the Event Viewer window.

Logons are Event ID: 528 and logoffs are Event ID: 538
posted by ed\26h at 9:00 AM on August 19, 2006 [1 favorite]

Workrave is free and can monitor how long you've been using the computer for the current session and day.

You can set a daily time limit and have it tell you when its up and it can also remind you to take regular "micro breaks" to avoid eye and wrist strain. Other features like the exercises are probably overkill but you should be able to configure it to your needs.
posted by Olli at 9:02 AM on August 19, 2006

Curious (and it could help you get a better answer.)
What would qualify as non-"responsible" use of computer time?
posted by blenderfish at 5:39 PM on August 19, 2006