Norton Family time limit can be easily disabled

Archive
1

I am using Norton Family Premium to monitor and control my son's computer activity. However, I find it frustrating that he keeps playing games long after the supposed time limit had been long passed. I decide to take a look and found that there are 2 processes forged for Norton Family, both have the same reference and one of the processes can be killed with his standard user account. Even though it will restart itself after being killed, it can be re-killed after restart itself and after several tries it would give up retrying and along goes the time limit. There would be another NF process running, but it is useless whatsoever now.

 

I wonder if this is a known issue or something I can fix from my end.

 

Thanks for the advice.

2

Yes, it is Windows 8. On my other systems that run 7 or Vista, it seems only one nf process is running.

3

I am using Norton Family Premium to monitor and control my son's computer activity. However, I find it frustrating that he keeps playing games long after the supposed time limit had been long passed. I decide to take a look and found that there are 2 processes forged for Norton Family, both have the same reference and one of the processes can be killed with his standard user account. Even though it will restart itself after being killed, it can be re-killed after restart itself and after several tries it would give up retrying and along goes the time limit. There would be another NF process running, but it is useless whatsoever now.

 

I wonder if this is a known issue or something I can fix from my end.

 

Thanks for the advice.

4

I think in windows versions < 8 don't show all the processes if you are not an administrator.

 

I will have the team take a look and make sure windows 8 works properly.

5

Hi, I have seen the same issue. I recommended a fix that KatieQ could pass to the developers. I think that the "process" is now blocked from being stopped, but the NF "service" may still be able to be killed and (eventually) not restarted. It would be easy enough to fix it. My solution? Block Task Manager from running.

6

Thanks for your solution / idea. We worked hard trying to make sure that the system behave properly and that a child could not tamper with the system, however as noted in several forum posts there will always be a way for someone to tamper with the system.

 

I could stop task manager from running, but what about other tools you can load to look at processes?

 

Either way, the parent should get a note / alert that the process was stopped. In getting that alert you can have that conversation. The product is designed to aid in parenting and be a tool, not be a digital parent.