CNET Editors' review
This handy tool prevents tiny hands from fiddling with your computer by locking your drives, the keyboard, and the mouse. Toddler Keys' straightforward interface lets you easily customize its settings to bar your PC's functions. You can lock your CD drives, keyboard, mouse, and sleep and power button. However, disabling the power button is only available to Windows XP users. The program can be set to run automatically when left idle for a user-specified time and will display images and plays a WAV audio file when keys are pressed. Toddler Keys' locking power can be quickly disabled by typing a user-defined password. This free utility not only minimizes the damage youngsters can do, but it could also double as a privacy program.
Publisher's Description
From Toddler Keys:
Toddler Keys is a useful tool for parents that allows you to lock your computer keyboard, CD drive doors, and power-off button. When the keyboard is used it will display images and play sounds every time a key is pressed, thereby preventing access to the desktop and applications, while adding some entertainment value for the kid.
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All versions:
3.7 starsout of 14 votes
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Current version:
3.7 starsout of 14 votes
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My rating:
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"It's perfect but I have to keep reinstalling!"
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
Locks keyboard, mouse AS WELL AS power button and drive doors. Allows you to select which drive doors to lock and you can disable or enable any combination of locks at will. Password display option once locked.
Cons
I don't know what it is, but it keeps prompting me to reinstall/repair on each and every startup. No known fixes. Also, you can't let something play, like Netflix, and lock everything b/c screen will eventually go to screensaver mode.
Summary
This program would be so perfect if I didn't have to keep reinstalling upon each startup. But, this is the only program I've found that lets you lock the power button, drive doors, as well as mouse and keyboard all in one program. You can choose your own password and images upon lock which is a nice customization feature. You also have an option to display little squigglies with the mouse if your toddler plays with it upon locking. To me that just makes it more attractive so I disabled.
I only gave 3 stars just because it keeps prompting me to reinstall. That's a a really big glitch! Other than that I love it! -
"Don't Download!"
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
My toddler loved it!
Cons
It locked my CD drive, and made it extremely difficult to use even if TK wasn't engaged. It also gave me a trojan and 2 malware items!
Summary
Don't use if you value your computer!
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"Pretty good program"
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
Locks the keyboard, mouse, touchpad, power button.
Cons
Interferes with Standby/Sleep mode on two different computers.
Summary
First came across this program when I was using a WinME desktop exclusively. Can't remember if I ever used it there, but...
On my XP laptop it tended to disable the key combination that put the computer into Standby mode, requiring me to go into the control panel-->power saver settings and reset that feature.
On my new Windows 7 laptop, after running the program once last night, and then typing 'quit', it seemed to work fine. However, after closing the lid and leaving the computer for a while I had to reboot to get my computer fully out of sleep mode. What happened when I opened the lid was, instead of waking up, the screen displayed the mouse pointer in the middle of a black screen. Since this is a new computer, I started to worry that there was already some kind of hideous error that would require me to contact the manufacturer. After a few unsuccessful attempts at getting the computer to wake up, I remembered I'd run Toddler Keys earlier in the evening and decided to try shutting the computer down via the power button. When I started it back up, everything was normal again.
I like this program, but this little bug is frustrating. Would give it a 5-star rating otherwise. As it is, I took off one star. -
"Cats won't be messing up my laptop"
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
Quick and easy setup; Customizable lock and unlock.
Cons
No cons so far.
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"Well meant, badly designed"
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
What it does is extremely useful to be able to do for exactly the reason it was built for: prevent babies and toddlers doing stuff when you're working.
Cons
It does not remember previous settings: I dont want drives or power button locked, but every time it starts, it locks them again. It also changed middlemouse settings even when the mouse is unlocked. All in all, more trouble than it's worth.
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"Don't download. Virus detected when I want to dowload"
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
...
Cons
My Avira Antivir detected a virus called DR/Delwin.AO when I attempted to download. It's so fast that you probably can't stop it from downloading. But just delete the files. Be careful with very small-sized files.
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"wonderful"
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
right program to lock the computer and makes pc safe. very simple and easy to use.
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"Easy to Use"
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
Great for keeping the pc safe from the little helper in our house.
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"Brilliant for a 2 year old."
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
My 2 and 4 year olds both love it. Simple and very effective.
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"Only works for one monitor."
Version: Toddler Keys 0.97
Pros
Nice for toddlers, I guess.
Cons
After reading the great reviews I thought I had found a program that would let me lock my computer during house showings. Unfortunately this is not designed to be a secure application. It does disable the keyboard, but the mouse disable only hides the desktop, and only the primary one, so my second monitor was completely exposed and accessible with the mouse. Also, everything is still accessible, just hidden behind the blank screen. I use side and top toolbars on my screen and they weren't hidden, allowing someone access to my bookmarks and programs (although they stay hidden and minimized). And Ctrl-Alt-Delete opened up the task manager in my second monitor, allowing me to force quit the Matrix app. So this program didn't offer any real protection at all. I'll keep searching.
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