Program Sentry Instruction Manual


     Program Sentry is a software program for Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/XP/Vista (does not work on NT computers) that allows you to control what programs can be run on your computer. Program Sentry can operate in one of two modes. In the blocked program mode, you can either specify a list of programs that are not allowed to run on the computer (forbidden programs). In the allowed program mode, you can specify a list of programs that are allowed to run on the computer, and no other programs will be allowed. Which mode you use basically depends on whether you have a few programs you want to prevent people from using, or a few programs you want to allow people to use.
     You can assign a password to each program on your list. In either mode, if you supply a password, the user can input the password to allow the program to run. This allows you to set up the computer so that several people using the computer will each be allowed access to the specific programs you want them to use. In the blocked program mode, if you do not provide a password, the program is completely blocked and cannot be run. In the allowed program mode, if you do not provide a password, the allowed program is always allowed to run, and no password is required to use that program. Passwords are useful if you want various individuals to have access to various different programs. You can give each person the passwords to the programs you want them to use.
     There is also an option to stop all blocking, thus allowing all programs to run. This option is protected by a supervisor level password. This allows the supervisor to switch off program blocking to allow full use of all programs.

Initializing Program Sentry

     When you first run Program Sentry, it will ask you to set an administer password. The administrator password is required to add programs to the allowed or blocked list, to remove programs from the lists, or to alter features of the programs such as their passwords. It can be used in place of the supervisor password to temporarily turn off blocking. It is also required to uninstall Program Sentry. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. This means, for example, that "Good" is not the same as "good" or "GOOD". Be sure to remember the EXACT password you select, including capitalization.
     After you input the administrator password, Program Sentry will ask you to set the supervisor password. The supervisor password will be required to temporarily turn off all blocking. It does not allow you to change any settings, such as what programs are on the blocked or allowed list. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. This means, for example, that "Good" is not the same as "good" or "GOOD". Be sure to remember the EXACT password you select, including capitalization.
     Program Sentry will then ask you to select the blocking type you want to use. This can be No Blocking, Block specific programs, or Block all programs except allowed programs. Select which type of blocking you prefer and click on the Ok button.
     Program Sentry will then ask you to add programs to the blocked or allowed list (depending on which type of blocking you selected). Follow the instructions on the screen to add programs. When you finish adding programs, Program Sentry will go to the main screen.

Registering Program Sentry

     From the time you first run Program Sentry, you have a 30-day trial period to evaluate it. During that time, Program Sentry will be fully functional. If you decide you like Program Sentry, you should register and pay for it. At the end of the trial period, if you do not pay for Program Sentry and input the registration code you receive, most functions of Program Sentry (such as the ability to unblock programs using the passwords) will be deactivated. They will be reactivated when you input the registration code.
     There are several ways to pay for Program Sentry. The easiest way to register a single copy is to go to the LeithauserResearch.com site. From there, you can go to the payment page (links are in the third paragraph on the home page). Scroll down the page to the place where Program Sentry is listed. Input the serial number that appears on the registration screen for Program Sentry (the screen that asks you to register and input your registration code) and then click on the "PayPal buy now" button. You will be sent the registration code by email. You will normally receive this code within a day, although it may take a little longer under unusual circumstances (Internet problems, etc.).
     You can also pay for Program Sentry by clicking on the Print button to print a form. You can then mail this form to the address given on the form or fax it to the fax number given on the form. You can pay by enclosing a check or by filling out the credit card information on the form. You can also pay by phone using your credit card. The number to call is 386-410-6769.
     Volume discounts are available. Call 386-410-6769 or send an email to [email protected] with information on how many copies you want to license for a price quote.

Main screen

     If you have added any programs to the blocked or allowed program list and assigned passwords to any of these programs, a list of password protected programs will appear on the main screen. You can click on one of these programs on the list to select it.
     If the program you select is currently blocked, a password input box and an unblock button will appear below the list. The unblock button will initially be disabled, but once you input a password, it will be enabled. Click on this button, and if the password is correct, the program will no longer be blocked. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. This means, for example, that "Good" is not the same as "good" or "GOOD". Be sure to input the EXACT password, including capitalization.
     There is a check box above the password input box. If you check this box, the password you type will be masked. This means that each character will be shown as an asterisk (*), regardless of what you type. This allows you to input passwords without anyone being able to see what you are typing. If you are concerned about people seeing what you are typing, click on this box to check it. If you want to be able to see the password as you type it, leave the box unchecked.
     If the program is already unblocked when you select it from the list, no password box will appear, but the button (now labeled "block") will appear. No password is required to reactivate blocking on a program.
     At the top of the main screen are a series of menus. The are:

Files

     There are two options under the Files menu.
     Uninstall Program Sentry. If you select this option, Program Sentry will ask for the administrative password. If you provide the correct password, Program Sentry will be totally removed from your computer. You should only use this option if you have decided that you do not want to use Program Sentry ever again.
     Note: You can also uninstall Program Sentry by running the Windows Control Panel and using the "Add and Remove Programs" program (called "Programs and Features" in Vista).
     The second option under the Files menu is to exit Program Sentry. This closes down the Program Sentry controller, but does not stop blocking. In fact, any blocking that has been turned off by the Program Sentry control panel will be reactivated. This includes individual programs whose blocking has been deactivated through their individual passwords or the "deactivate blocking" function (explained below). The only programs that will not be blocked are programs that are not on the blocked program list if you are in "Blocked Programs" mode or programs that are on the allowed programs list in the "Allowed Programs" mode AND have no passwords assigned to them.

Deactivate Blocking

     Clicking on this causes Program Sentry to ask for the supervisor password. The administrative password can be used in place of the supervisor password. If the correct password is input, all program blocking is deactivated. The menu caption changes to "Activate Blocking." No password is required to reactivate blocking.
     The "Deactivate Blocking" function allows a supervisor to use all programs on a computer freely. This allows you to use Program Sentry as a master controller, among other things. For example, suppose a parent wants to prevent their children from using certain computer programs (like Internet Explorer or email) when they are not home. They can block these programs using Program Sentry. When they get home and can supervise their children, they can use the "Deactivate Blocking" function to allow their children to use all these programs at once.
     Note that all blocking is reactivated when you exit (end) the Program Sentry control program. This is to protect you from accidentally leaving blocking turned off. All blocking is also activated when you restart Windows.

Unlock

     When you click on the Unlock menu, Program Sentry will ask for your Administrator password. Once you provide this password, the menu caption will change to "Lock" and several functions (found under the "Configure" menu) will be enabled. These functions are "Set Blocking Type", "Add Blocked Programs", "Edit Blocked Programs", "Add Allowed Programs", and "Edit Allowed Programs". Note that the "Add Blocked Programs" and "Edit Blocked Programs" menu items are only visible if the blocking type is "Block specific programs". The "Add Allowed Programs" and "Edit Allowed Programs" menu items are only visible if the blocking type is "Block all programs except allowed programs". These options are explained below.

Set Blocking Type

     This option (under the "Configuration" menu) allows you to set the blocking mode you want Program Sentry to use. When you select this menu option, you will see a window with three option buttons. These are:

1) No blocking. Blocking turned off. - When you set this, blocking is turned off indefinitely, even if you exit Program Sentry or turn the computer off and then on again. You would use this only if you want to turn off all blocking for an extended period of time, several days at least.
2) Block specific programs - In this mode, Program Sentry blocks the programs you have put on the blocked programs list. No other programs are blocked. You would use this mode if you want people who have access to the computer to be able to use it freely, except for certain specific programs you do not want them to be able to use. A typical example would be a parent who wants their children to be able to play games and use word processors and such, but want to prevent them from getting on the Internet until the parents get home and can supervise. In this mode, programs that do not have a password assigned to them can only be run if the "Deactivate Blocking" option is used, which disables all blocking. Programs that have a password assigned to them can be individually unblocked. This is useful if you want various people to be able to use various programs. You can give each person the passwords to the programs you want them to use.
3) Block all programs except allowed programs - This mode is the reciprocal of blocking mode 2. In this mode, any program not on the list of allowed programs is blocked all the time (unless "Deactivate Blocking" is used). If a program on the list of allowed programs has no password assigned to it, that program is allowed to run all the time. If a password is assigned to the program, you must input the password from the main Program Sentry screen to unblock it.

     Select the option you prefer and click on the OK button. Program Sentry will then return to the main screen.

Add blocked program

     This option allows you to add programs to the list of blocked programs. When you select it, you will see the "Add blocked programs" screen.
     To add a program to the list of blocked programs, run the program you want to block. If it is already running, click on the program screen to give that program the focus. Blocking is turned off while this screen is active, so you can run the programs without them being blocked.
     When you run another program, the name for that program will appear in the "Name" text box. The "Add blocked programs" screen will stay in front of other programs that are running, so you can see this clearly. The name that appears in the box is taken from the title bar of the program. If there is no title bar, the executable file name for the program is shown.
     Below the name text box is the password text box. If you want the program to be blocked all the time, do not put in a password. If you want to allow some people to run the program but not others, input a password. If you provide a password, the name of the blocked program will appear on the main Program Sentry screen and people will be able to select it and then input a password to unblock it temporarily. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. This means, for example, that "Good" is not the same as "good" or "GOOD". Be sure to remember the EXACT password you select, including capitalization.
     Once you have the program title and (optionally) password in their respective text boxes, click on the "Add" button to add that program to the list of blocked programs. The name will be added to the list at the bottom of the screen.
     You can repeat this process to add as many programs as you like to the blocked program list. When you are finished, click on the Close button. This screen will disappear and the main screen will reappear. Blocking is then reactivated.

Edit Blocked Programs

     This option allows you to remove blocked programs or to edit the properties (displayed name and password) of programs already on the blocked program list. When you select this option, you will see the "Blocked Program Editor" window.
     To edit or remove a program, first click on the program on the list. The name of the program will appear in the Name text box. If you have assigned a password to the program, that password will appear in the password text box. To remove the program from the list, click on the "Remove" button. If you want to change the displayed name, edit the name in the text box. To change the password, change that in the text box. After changing either of these, click on the "Change" button to cause the change to take effect. You can change as many programs as you like. When you are finished, click on the "Close" button. You will go back to the main screen. Blocking is deactivated while the "Blocked Program Editor" window is on the screen. Blocking is reactivated when you close this screen.

Add Allowed Program

     This option allows you to add programs to the list of allowed programs. When you select it, you will see the "Add Allowed Programs" screen.
     To add a program to the list of allowed programs, run the program you want to allow. If it is already running, click on the program screen to give that program the focus. Blocking is turned off while this screen is active, so you can run the programs without them being allowed.
     When you run another program, the name for that program will appear in the "Name" text box. The "Add Allowed Programs" screen will stay in front of other programs that are running, so you can see this clearly. The name that appears in the box is taken from the title bar of the program. If there is no title bar, the executable file name for the program is shown.
     Below the name text box is the password text box. If you want the program to be allowed all the time, do not put in a password. If you want to allow some people to run the program but not others, input a password. If you provide a password, the name of the allowed program will appear on the main Program Sentry screen and people will be able to select it and then input a password to unblock it temporarily. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. This means, for example, that "Good" is not the same as "good" or "GOOD". Be sure to remember the EXACT password you select, including capitalization.
     Once you have the program title and (optionally) password in their respective text boxes, click on the "Add" button to add that program to the list of allowed programs. The name will be added to the list at the bottom of the screen.
     You can repeat this process to add as many programs as you like to the allowed program list. When you are finished, click on the Close button. This screen will disappear and the main screen will reappear. Blocking is then reactivated.

Edit Allowed Programs

     This option allows you to remove allowed programs or to edit the properties (displayed name and password) of programs already on the allowed program list. When you select this option, you will see the "Allowed Program Editor" window.
     To edit or remove a program, first click on the program on the list. The name of the program will appear in the Name text box. If you have assigned a password to the program, that password will appear in the password text box. To remove the program from the list, click on the "Remove" button. If you want to change the displayed name, edit the name in the text box. To change the password, change that in the text box. After changing either of these, click on the "Change" button to cause the change to take effect. You can change as many programs as you like. When you are finished, click on the "Close" button. You will go back to the main screen. Blocking is deactivated while the "Allowed Program Editor" window is on the screen. Blocking is reactivated when you close this screen.

Change Administrator Password

     This option under the Configure menu will allow you to change the Administrator password. You would use this if you suspect that someone has learned the password. When you select this option, it will first ask you for the current administrator password. Once you input the correct password, Program Sentry will ask you to input a new administrator password. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. This means, for example, that "Good" is not the same as "good" or "GOOD". Be sure to remember the EXACT password you select, including capitalization.

Change Supervisor Password

     This option under the Configure menu will allow you to change the supervisor password. You would use this if you suspect that someone has learned the password. When you select this option, it will first ask you for the current supervisor password. You can input the supervisor OR the administrator password. This allows the administrator to change the supervisor password if the supervisor is replaced. Once you input the correct password, Program Sentry will ask you to input a new supervisor password. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. This means, for example, that "Good" is not the same as "good" or "GOOD". Be sure to remember the EXACT password you select, including capitalization.

Bug reports, help requests, suggestions

     If you need help with this program, have found a bug, or have a request for additional feature, please contact Leithauser Research. The best way is to send an email to [email protected]. You can also call Leithauser Research at 386-410-6769 .
     If you are suggesting an additional feature or other improvement, we will make these changes and release a new version soon if we believe these improvements would have broad appeal. You will be notified when the new version is released. If we feel that the changes you suggest are not commercially viable, we can still create a custom version of Program Sentry for you for a fee. Contact Leithauser Research if you are interested in this.

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