Thinking ahead; Keeping a baby from turning off the pc!

[Elizara]

Okay. Since this has to do with the pc, thought this is the place to ask. Mods, if I guessed wrong, go ahead and move it.

My sister babysits my nieces (5 and 2 1/2) and my baby nephew. The nephew is just learning how to crawl. From his sisters, I know babies seem to have a fatal fascination with buttons, especially if they glow. The trouble is my tower is on a milk crate, out in the open, so if he gets away...

Is there any way to kinda..prevent him..from pressing my power button and the kill switch at the back of the PC without disconnecting them? I'd rather be able to turn the pc on, plzkthnks. Oh and I think hitting him with a water bottle is a baaaad idea! Kinda tired of those kids turning off my pc when I'm busy when they didn't know better...(I tend to be a holler-er when that happens, esp if I was in the middle of something..)

[Bardicrune]

Move it onto something higher and out of reach?

[Waraji]

without disconnecting them?

Nope. Was going to suggest re-routing that Power switch somewhere else via an old power switch, and place it somewhere else (like the bottom of the PC), kind of like a Car kill switch. The back PSU button, well you're pretty much fked on that. Unless you can create some sort of casing around the switch out of hard plastic and tie it onto the PSU via, glue, or tie-wraps.

The issue you're presenting though, is my main gripe with most PC owners. Having the PC at Ground level, pretty much becoming a dust & particle vacuum. Once you get that in control, pretty much the rest of your problems are fixed.

Best Answer: Get a new Desk where you can place the PC above waist level.

edit: Bardicrune beat me to it!

[Elizara]

It's actually about a foot off the ground (Milk crate). It was worse when I had the darned thing on the rug but considering how many times i had to yell at the 2 year old, I wanna think about how I wanna deal with those munchkins now. (I don't get a lot of dirt in the pc, I should know since I squirt the darn thing out every 3-6 months with canned air. Recently got a DataVac b/c we can't keep affording canned air)

Oh and I would NOT recommend anyone put a pc on the rug. That REALLY makes it a dust magnet, let me tell you. (Had to spend a fortune on canned air to clean it out) I'll see if I can look into ways of covering the offending button/switch. It's just something I'm thinking about before that nephew gets more mobile.

As for new desk; considering the space issues, I'd have to move out before that'd be feasible (VERY small room and the "desk" doubles as a dresser) so it's Deal With It since I can't afford to atm. (Moving out would also stop me from having to look over my shoulder for babies but..)

[Stromgarde]

What does the case look like? i.e. is the back panel recessed or not, pics of the front, etc.

[Totien]

You can probably just disconnect the power switch from the motherboard, which makes it a pain in the ass for you to power on and off as well.

I don't think anything can be done about the power switch on the PSU though.

[Aksannyi]

We covered our tower lights with duct tape when my kids were young. The kids couldn't see the lights through it and we were still able to push the buttons to turn on/off the PC. Just try to be discreet with it though, because they're smart little bastards and will figure it out when they see you do it.

Of course, if having ugly tape over your tower turns you off, I have no solutions, though I did have to go in and change my settings for what the power button does so it wouldn't completely shut off everything.

[Edelweiss]

We covered our tower lights with duct tape when my kids were young. The kids couldn't see the lights through it and we were still able to push the buttons to turn on/off the PC. Just try to be discreet with it though, because they're smart little bastards and will figure it out when they see you do it.

Of course, if having ugly tape over your tower turns you off, I have no solutions, though I did have to go in and change my settings for what the power button does so it wouldn't completely shut off everything.

Just duct tape plastic bottle caps from soda/bottled water over buttons.

[Elizara]

Stromgarde: This is the case. I can't get a pic of it on since 'Neko has my digital camera, but the button to hit is kinda discreet, but it lights up..Not sure if that'd be "grab nephew by scruff of neck and yell b/c he turned off the pc" yet, but I'd rather be braced for that and prevent.

Toten; I might try finding something to cover that as well. That switch is at the bottom of the pc, so I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to flip it! And I don't wanna go that far as to disconnect teh switch; want to be able to turn the pc on and off. I just don't want that little munchkin ruining a gaming/writing session. (Also I scared my 2 year old niece a few times yelling, don't wanna scare him!)

Aksannyi: Not a bad idea. I may combine it with some kinda bottlecap idea or safety lock, for yeah, kids are smart little imps and figure out lots of things.

[Ksandra]

This is what I did:

http://download.cnet.com/Toddler-Key...-10305344.html

then disabled the reset button on the comp.

It says the power button only works on windows xp but it worked on mine for windows vista (which I had at the time). So test it out to see if it worked.

[Bardicrune]

It says the power button only works on windows xp but it worked on mine for windows vista (which I had at the time). So test it out to see if it worked.

The power button disable only works for brief presses where the OS receives the ACPI signal and interprets it to shutdown. It does not prevent it from just flat out turning off if the button is held down for more than 4 seconds (feature on most motherboards to allow turning off PC in case of OS lockup). Like the others have said, if you cannot move it, a physical deterrent is going to be your best bet. How about a baby gate to prevent them going into the room at all?

[Stromgarde]

Stromgarde: This is the case. I can't get a pic of it on since 'Neko has my digital camera, but the button to hit is kinda discreet, but it lights up..Not sure if that'd be "grab nephew by scruff of neck and yell b/c he turned off the pc" yet, but I'd rather be braced for that and prevent.

Toten; I might try finding something to cover that as well. That switch is at the bottom of the pc, so I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to flip it! And I don't wanna go that far as to disconnect teh switch; want to be able to turn the pc on and off. I just don't want that little munchkin ruining a gaming/writing session. (Also I scared my 2 year old niece a few times yelling, don't wanna scare him!)

Aksannyi: Not a bad idea. I may combine it with some kinda bottlecap idea or safety lock, for yeah, kids are smart little imps and figure out lots of things.

Since the power/reset buttons on the front are flush with the chassis, my suggestion would be to cover them with a piece of cardboard affixed with duct tape, with pinholes cut out so you can poke a ballpoint pen through to toggle power / reset when needed but the toddler won't be able to activate them no matter how much they prod. The PSU looks like it sits such that the hard I / O power switch sticks out over the case so you're going to need to cover it with something hard, like the aforementioned bottlecaps. If the bottle cap doesn't fit one of those mini breath mint tins might be a better fit.

[Waraji]

If the bottle cap doesn't fit one of those mini breath mint tins might be a better fit.

Bigger Bottle Cap! /Snapples.

[hey]

Get a case with a door on the front.

[Isiolia]

Get a case with a door on the front.

Most of them now put the power/reset buttons outside of it, along with USB ports and the like. Though if there was one, preferably with a lock, that'd certainly work.

[Elizara]

hey; I admit I tried to find a decent, not too expensive case that did that when I got this pc built. No luck. My sis had some luck getting a expensive fancy case with a design that looked like evil red eyes; she got the older niece to believe that was a MONSTER that would eat her up! (And the younger one for a while until she got her pc rebuilt) That doesn't work anymore though since she wasn't able to get quite the same case again. Shame she is the only one with a desk that actually has a door (and she uses child proof locks on it so she doesn't have baby problems; I wouldn't use that desk on a bet though. No vent holes and I think it cooked her pc multiple times.)

I'm not one for fancy cases so I went with budget.

Stormgarde; I'll see if I can get a tin of mints for the back next time I head to the grocery store. Hopefully that'll solve the back problem, and we got plenty of cardboard so I should be able to tape over the tempting buttons in the front. Also toddlerkeys is proly a good idea too.

[Kohan]

Has no one suggested checking the BIOS yet?

Some BIOSes let you choose the functionality of the power button while the machine is on.

[Mistress Stowastiq]

Though it costs money, there are various products for child proofing things safely and effectively. You can check online under child proofing or child proof computer components, child proof office supplies and there is a range from low cost to hyper expensive specialty stuff. Its safer to get something intended for this function, than it is to try to craft something from this and that because it is always bad to make something to protect an object from a kid if the protection/barrier will end up being a hazard too.

There are stores dedicated to child safe, adult use furniture or department stores that will require a bit of looking around. Might also check parenting forums for people with home offices, child development forums for things used in schools.

[Elizara]

I'll see about checking the bios.

In the past, baby gate never went up until my first YAAAARGH! due to baby messing with my pc. (Sneaky little imps, sneak up on me and turn it off without me noticing until my screen goes blank..That was before the rebuild though and my power/reset buttons were lower on the case and more obvious, but I don't doubt zee nephew will figure out how to play with 'em..smart little imp..) Since my yell usually scares the baby, I'd rather not go that route again. I like that nephew too much to scare him accidentally. Also when the gate goes up, it blocks the hall, not just my room b/c I have a odd sized door, which is why I hope to keep the baby off the power button in the first place. If he gets in my remotes that's okay (they're in basket on top of pc). I just don't want him turning off the pc.

I've also checked options on babyproofing the pc, but all I've been able to find so far is this cloth thing that doesn't work as well as it ought according to the Amazon reviews. Baby could still see the button and as people have said in reviews, turn the pc off. Smart little imps. I'll keep checking around though; worst case I'll be using a homemade solution.

[Ksandra]

Did you try that program I linked?

Honestly solved my problem.