Keeping tabs on My Sons Email in outlook express

Chucky1973 · Joined: Jul 09, 2008 Posts: 4

I'm hoping someone can help me. My 12yr old son has his own email account using outlook Express and knowing how it can be a mine trap for virus and how a boy of 12 will unknowingly sign up for anything, i'm wanting to keep tabs on it with him being so young. Is there a programme that i can install which will either show me what messages he sends and recieves or that sends a duplicate email to my own email address

Any help is most appreciated[/b]

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1546 Location: Central FL, USA

Hi Chucky,

Unless he's pretty knowledgeable and purposely trying to hide things from you everything he's received will still be in the In Box or Deleted Items folder and everything he's sent will be in the Sent Items folder.

Look there first.

PC Maintenance is probably the Last thing a 12 yr old will do so all the copies of his email should still be on the computer. Take a look!

I doubt you'll need any special software.

Cheers mate!
The Doctor Cool

Chucky1973 · Joined: Jul 09, 2008 Posts: 4

I know all that but unfortunately he's changed the password to his email and has it setup so that it emptys his delete folder on exit. Dam those computer lessons at school!!!!

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 924

Not to tell you how to raise your kids but have you tried some good old fashioned GROUND RULES?

Now for the technical: What OS are you using?
I thought that there was a setting in OE that would forward a copy automatically but I don't seem to see it. So I need to check on this. As for the EMAIL ACCOUNT PASSWORD I'll have to check but think if your account is the PRIMARY one you have control over the rest too. (Assuming this is ISP provided EMAIL.) - AND if you don't, you can get the password from your ISP I do believe.

Give me a complete rundown on what you have & I'll see what parental / admin trickery I can come up with.

OS
accounts & who has primary
ISP or web email - with who
Anything else along these lines

Chucky1973 · Joined: Jul 09, 2008 Posts: 4

All i can find is Outlook Express version 6.00.2900.5512 (xpsp.080413.2105)

I too thought you could set it up for duplicates but can't seem to find it, i'd much prefer this as otherwise he'll no doubt cotton on i'm watching.

I rang my isp and they seem to think it can't be done only thing they suggested was to change it to a IMAP type email so i can check 1st before downloading but as i said before if i do he'll know i'm onto him.[/b]

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 924

Well, without more info, I can't offer much help, but will see what I can come up with. It will probably be hit & miss at best, though.

Need to know about this password you refer to. I think I may have come up with something.

micker377 · Joined: May 27, 2005 Posts: 994

You can have his ISP to set his account to "save" his e-mail on their server, instead of deleting it from the server when it is downloaded. Other than that - take his power cord until he gives you the password!!!

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 924

If you are willing to buy a program to do this, check out this:
CLICK ON ME - SPYMAIL

Depending on that password thing & others things that need addressed, this may work....

silmaril8n · Joined: Jan 29, 2004 Posts: 1743 Location: Phoenix, AZ

Seeing as he's 12 your ISP should have no trouble giving you the password to the account. If not -- switch to a better ISP.

Your ISP suggesting IMAP is a good one, but it takes a little more setup than your basic POP/SMTP mailbox.

There are plenty of other ways to control the email account that don't involve technology but more or less social controls (e.g. only you have the password and you login for him, using a central family account, etc).

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6319

Would something like SIW reveal the password? It lists all four OE accounts for me, but I haven't done anything special for extra security.

http://www.gtopala.com/

They're in the folder named "Secrets".

Wonsr · Joined: Nov 26, 2004 Posts: 42

Ever heard of Password Show? I have it on my computer and when I run it, at the enter password there are ******** etc. I then press F10 and it reveals the password. Very Happy

If you would like the program, I will email it to you, or google pwshow and you should be able to download it.

charris1980 · Joined: Jul 16, 2008 Posts: 1

install a keylogger. can't vouch for this, but looks like it will do what you need.

http://www.keyghost.com/

plus you can track what he is typing (chat rooms, forums, etc.)

goretsky

Hello,

Spectorsoft offers a variety of monitoring programs.

Have you considered installing Internet safety software on the computer, such as ContentWatch's NetNanny or Solid Oak Software's CyberSitter?

For that matter, maybe it makes sense for the computer not to have access to the Internet at all, unless you are there to supervise its use.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2636

I'd tell him I want the password. the fact that he has change it proves that he has something to hide. You plain to him that it is your duty as a parent to protect him from the unsavory elements of the internet. He lacks the experience to know whom to trust and you want to protect him until he gains the necessary experience. If he refuses to give the password to you, then say, no computer unless I'm here and an see what you are doing. Then remove the power cord from the computer and the power cord or monitor cable from the monitor and throw them in the trunk of your car. He'll then have to decide if he wants to share the password so you an monitor when you hve time or he only gets computer acess when you say so.

placidarc

I'm using Windows mail but I think this can apply to OE. You can set up "message Rules". Where the "to" line and the "from" line contains your sons name you can copy them to another folder. You can then view them from there.

Raydeo · Joined: Jun 23, 2005 Posts: 46 Location: Boring, Oregon

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 924

I guess I had forgotten all about this or it just didn't click, (old age, or senility? Shocked

) either way, better late than never. - Raydeo, clicked my memory on this, BTW...

You can set up a "bogus" outlook express account on another computer, then copy all those DBX files to it. Easiest way is to the default areas but can be anywhere if you want to edit the location that OE looks for them - I really don't remember where to do this without looking as I no longer use it. But once copied you can read & do whatever. As RAYDEO pointed out you can backup your email this was - We did this at a place I worked, thus the line about me not recalling this.

This ought to solve CHUCKY1973's problem, too. If I could remember where to do the file redirect, he could move or copy the file(s) to ANYWHERE that BOTH computers can see. (as an example, where I worked ALL of these DBX's were copied to a SERVER for backups)

Chucky, If you NEED this, let me know & I'll refresh my memory... ASAP.

tbernstein · Joined: May 16, 2003 Posts: 1576 Location: London

OK. I'm a teacher, I'm an an amateur techie and I'm a parent of a 12 year old. On all three grounds I'd say the point, already made, is ground rules. Not spying on your child.
Because, frankly, if you can't enforce rules on how he uses the computer now, what can you do when he actually does something silly/dangerous/illegal.
This isn't about IT skills. It's a matter of parenting skills.
It's a strange thing. There are hundreds of people on this site and many others who will freely offer advice on how to fix a computer, grow a rose bush or sail a boat. But we fight shy about helping people to do the most complex job of all- parenting.

This is a UK site, with a forum, it seems pretty sensible and I notice it has a least one US parent in the forum.

http://www.raisingkids.co.uk/ski/Ski.asp

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 924

I agree that parenting come first & there definitely needs to be rules. But there also needs to be a way to ENFORCE those rules, thus the suggestions given here. - At least that is what I was doing...