Windows · Google Chrome
Make WebSilence impossible to remove
Keep WebSilence from being removed or switched off in Chrome on your child's Windows computer. It uses Chrome's own administrator policy, the mechanism schools and companies use, so Chrome shows "Your browser is managed by your organization" while it is on.
The protection is as strong as the Windows account: give your child a standard (non-administrator) account, otherwise it can be undone.
Turn it on
-
1
Set a parental PIN
In WebSilence settings, open the Parental PIN tab and set a PIN. The download link there only works with a PIN.
-
2
Download and open the setup
If Chrome says "Suspicious download blocked", open the download list, click the arrow next to the file and keep it. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", choose More info and then Run anyway. The setup is new, so they don't know it yet.
-
3
Allow the change
Windows asks whether the app may make changes to your device: choose Yes. Click Next, leave the three boxes ticked to also turn off Incognito windows, guest mode and new profiles, then Install and Finish.
-
4
Restart Chrome
Close every Chrome window and open Chrome again. The Parental PIN tab now says "Removal protection is on" (click Check again if the tab was already open).
Turn it off
Open Windows Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find WebSilence Protection and choose Uninstall (administrator rights are needed). Chrome then removes WebSilence by itself, because it no longer has to keep it. Add WebSilence again from the Chrome Web Store and sign in to get your lists back.
Exactly what the setup changes
| Registry value | What it does |
|---|---|
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist (one entry for WebSilence) | Chrome keeps WebSilence installed and switched on. Other entries are never touched. |
IncognitoModeAvailability = 1, BrowserGuestModeEnabled = 0, BrowserAddPersonEnabled = 0 | No Incognito windows, guest mode or new profiles. Only the boxes you tick, and only if no one else has set them. |
HKLM\SOFTWARE\WebSilenceProtection | Remembers what was added, so uninstalling removes exactly that and nothing else. |
Good to know
- You can check it at chrome://policy: ExtensionInstallForcelist lists WebSilence.
- It covers Google Chrome. Other browsers on the computer are not affected.
- Nothing is sent anywhere: the setup only changes the settings above, on this computer.
- No program files are installed, only the uninstaller, so it appears in Settings › Apps.
- If something goes wrong, the setup writes a log to %TEMP%\Setup Log *.txt.