KidKeyLock

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on September 30, 2010

This program is called Kid-Key-Lock, but it could just as easily be called Cat-Key-Lock. It was just a few days ago that we came back to our computer to find that our cat had added several letters and numbers and 15 pages of carriage returns to a document that we had been working on. Whether you have a curious toddler or an oblivious feline, Kid-Key-Lock can keep your computer safe from unwanted keyboard and mouse input.

The program appears as an icon in the system tray, and you can access the setup menu by right-clicking on it. From there, there are several options for customizing Kid-Key-Lock's functions. You can lock various mouse buttons, the mouse wheel, and double-clicking, and there are four levels of keyboard locking: system key combinations; all keys except characters, space, Enter, and arrow keys; all keys except characters, space, and Enter; or all keys on the keyboard. When only the keyboard is locked, you can click on the program's icon to unlock it; when the mouse is also locked, you can type a password (which the program will display) in order to unlock. The program also accepts one command line parameter that can be used if the password has been forgotten. A built-in Help file is brief but adequate. Overall, Kid-Key-Lock is nothing fancy, but it is an effective way to keep kids, cats, and anyone else who can't read from composing their magnum opus of gibberish.

Kid-Key-Lock installs and uninstalls without issues. We recommend this program to everyone.