FamilyTimeGuard stores settings, time used and events related to supervision on the child’s computer. It does not require an online service account or send this data to the program’s author.
If you use the panel on another computer, it reads data and saves settings over your home network. The data does not pass through a FamilyTimeGuard server.
What information is stored
The program counts time spent using a Windows account. It does not create a browsing history, screen recordings or a record of typed messages. Its activity log can, however, reveal when an account was used, when a limit was reached and what problems occurred.
| Information | Why the program stores it |
|---|---|
| The child’s account name and Windows identifier, computer name and date the installer configured the account | So the panel can recognise the account from another computer too. |
| The list of supervised accounts | To start supervision for the selected children. |
| Limits, allowed hours, dated corrections, time zone and the selected final action | To apply the parent’s rules. |
| Filenames on the list of programs to close | To identify which programs to close. This is a prepared list, not a history of applications used. |
| The date and number of seconds used each day | To retain usage after signing out and restarting the computer. |
| Time left, configured language and voice, and program version | So the panel and the child’s icon can read the current state. |
| Technical events with dates and times | To explain supervision starting and stopping, time counting, reaching a limit and errors. Entries may contain account identifiers, file paths and Windows messages. |
| Computer names added in the panel and the panel language | So the parent does not have to choose them again each time. |
| The language and voice chosen by the child | To keep their warning preferences on this computer. |
The program does not automatically delete old daily usage records. Technical logs have a size limit: at about 256 KiB, the previous file is kept with a .1 suffix and new entries go into a new file. The older previous copy is replaced. This is not a complete history kept for a fixed number of days.
Where the files are
You can paste the paths below into File Explorer’s address bar. %ProgramData% is the shared folder for program data. %AppData% and %LocalAppData% point to the profile of the Windows account you are using to open File Explorer.
On the child’s computer
The %ProgramData%\FamilyTimeGuard folder is usually at C:\ProgramData\FamilyTimeGuard.
| File or folder | Contents |
|---|---|
supervised.ini |
The list of supervised accounts. |
service.log and, if present, service.log.1 |
A log of supervision starting and stopping for individual accounts, and service errors. |
Folders whose names start with S-1- |
Each account’s data. The folder name is the SID, an account identifier assigned by Windows. |
Each child’s folder contains:
| File | Contents |
|---|---|
child.ini |
The account name and identifier, computer and date the installer configured it. |
limits.ini |
The rules set by the parent. |
processes.txt |
The list of filenames of programs to close. |
timecontrol_log.txt |
Seconds used on each day. |
audit.log and, if present, audit.log.1 |
The activity log for this child’s supervision. |
shared\status.txt and shared\notice.txt |
The countdown state and last warning instruction for the child’s icon. |
The panel shows the path to the selected child’s limits.ini. Use it to find the right folder without guessing which child an S-1-… identifier belongs to.
In the parent’s and child’s profiles
%AppData%\FamilyTimeGuard\computers.ini— computers remembered by the parent’s panel.%AppData%\FamilyTimeGuard\settings.ini— the selected panel language.%LocalAppData%\FamilyTimeGuard\preferences.ini— the language and voice chosen by the child in the icon’s menu.
These files belong to individual Windows profiles. A computer used only to open the panel has no local child usage data; the panel reads it from the children’s computer.
Manually choosing the panel language also creates an entry in the user registry at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Embarcadero\Locales. A value named after the panel’s path stores the language code. Choosing Language… → Automatic (Windows language) in the panel removes this entry for the running panel.
Who can access the data
With a correct installation, the data needed for time counting is protected by Windows permissions. The child’s account can read status and warnings from shared, but cannot change limits or saved usage. The child changes their own language and voice preferences in their profile.
Computer administrators have access to the data. Parent accounts allowed by the installer to manage over the network also have broad access to every child’s settings and data on that computer, including the ability to change and delete them. Choose those accounts as described in Protecting the settings.
The panel does not save the password used to connect to the child’s computer in its files or add it to Credential Manager. Windows may, however, use a connection or credentials remembered earlier outside the panel. Deleting FamilyTimeGuard files does not remove those Windows settings.
If you share a log, error message or panel screenshot with someone, check the visible account names, computer names and paths. Share only what is needed to explain the problem; the program does not send support reports automatically.
Remove data when you stop using the program
Uninstalling alone leaves the data behind. To remove it, first uninstall the program successfully and resolve any errors about removing the service or network access.
- On the child’s computer, open
%ProgramData%from an administrator account. Find FamilyTimeGuard and check the full path. Delete only that folder. This removes settings and saved usage for all children on this computer. - In each parent account where the panel was used, open
%AppData%and delete its FamilyTimeGuard folder. Repeat on the parent’s other computer if one was used. - In each child’s account, open
%LocalAppData%and delete FamilyTimeGuard if it exists. This removes the child’s language and voice preferences. Entering this path in the parent’s account does not take you to the child’s profile. - Check that the named folders are gone. If the deleted items went to the Recycle Bin and you want them removed from there too, delete those items from the bin.
The easiest way to remove the optional registry language entry is before uninstalling: choose the automatic language in the panel on each account where you changed it. Do not delete the entire Embarcadero\Locales key — it may contain settings for other programs.
Do not use this procedure to repair working limits. Deleting the data erases rules and saved usage. If you return to the program later, configure the accounts again in the panel.
This procedure removes the program’s working files listed above. It does not remove separate copies or records kept by Windows, backup software or other programs. It is not a procedure for securely erasing a drive.