Limiting the runtime in Windows 10

Windows 10 offers parental control functions that allow you to limit the time of computer use, launch programs and prohibit access to certain websites, I wrote about this in detail in the article Parental controls Windows 10 (You can also use the material mentioned to configure the restrictions on computer use time of family members, if you are not confused by the nuances mentioned below).

That being said, the above restrictions can only be configured for a Microsoft account, not a local account. And one more detail: when checking the parental control functions of Windows 10, I have verified that if you go to the supervised child account, and in it, to the account settings and enable the local account instead of the Microsoft account, Parental control functions stop working. See also: How to lock Windows 10 if someone tries to guess your password.

This tutorial is on how to restrict the use of Windows 10 computer from your local account by using the command line. You will not be able to prohibit the execution of programs or visit certain websites (as well as receive a report about them) using this method, it can be done with parental controls, third-party software and some tools incorporated into the system. Helpful articles on how to block sites and programs running on Windows may include How to block a site, Local Group Policy Editor for beginners (this article takes the example of blocking the execution of particular programs).

Set runtime limits for a local Windows 10 account

First, you will need a local user account (not an administrator) for which the restrictions will be set. It can be created as follows:

1. Start - Settings - Accounts - Family and other users.
2. Under "Other users", click "Add a user for this computer".
3. In the window that asks for the email address, click on "I do not have access data for this person."
4. In the next window, click "Add a user without a Microsoft account".
5. Fill in the user information.

The configuration of the restriction itself must be done from an account with administrator privileges, running the command line as Administrator (you can do this through the menu of the right button of the Start button).

The command used to set the time a user can log in to Windows 10 is as follows:

net username / time: day, time

In this command:

• Username - The name of the Windows 10 user account for which the restrictions are set.
• Day - The day or days of the week (or range) on which the session can be started. The abbreviations of the days in English (or their full names) are used: M, T, W, Th, F, S, Su (from Monday to Sunday, respectively).
• Time - time range in HH: MM format, for example, 14: 00-18: 00

As an example: we need to limit access to any day of the week only in the afternoons, from 19pm to 21pm for the user. In this case, use the command

net user. / time: M-Su, 19: 00-21: 00

If we need to specify several ranges, for example, the input is possible from Monday to Friday from 19 to 21, and Sunday from 7 to 21, the command can be written as follows:

net user . /time:M-F,19:00-21:00;Su,07:00-21:00

When logging in at a time interval other than that allowed by the command, the user will see the message "Cannot log in now due to account restrictions." Try again later".

To remove all restrictions from the account, use the command net username / time: all on the command line as an administrator.

That's probably all on the topic of how to prohibit login to Windows at certain times without Windows 10 parental control. Another cool feature is the installation of a single application that can be run by a Windows 10 user (Kiosk mode ).

I will conclude by pointing out that if the user for whom these restrictions are set is smart enough and knows how to ask Google the right questions, they will be able to figure out how to use the computer. This applies to almost any way of doing this type of restriction on home computers: passwords, parental control programs, and the like.