Blocking apps on computers from installing

[Pengwuino]

GOOD LORD! I swear, I think I'm spending half my waking hours (slight exaggeration) fixing my mothers computer because someone in the family uses it like a drunken moron uses a car to get home and eventually kills someone. Everytime something is screwed up with it, I go find all sorts of spyware, limewires installed, itunes won't go away (has apple been prosecuted as the most prevalent malware spreader in history yet with its itunes and icrap and ihatestevejobs?), and the usual suspects.

Is there ANY way to simply block programs from ever getting installed in the first place? I know I could probably go through my router and shut down the ports that limewire uses for example, but I want a way to simply forbid certain programs from ever getting installed by legitimate users in the first place. I'm looking for a method that will stop a legitimate user from installing something, I'm not looking to circumvent malware from installing itself 'illegally' on the computer. A quick google search seems to lead me to things like Deep Freeze or other programs that simply resets your hard drives state to a pre-configured state. I don't want this because my mother does actually need to install things and use the computer like any normal person, but It needs to prevent other people from going on and installing BS that wastes my life.

The account is a admin account too so i can't simply forbid the entire account from installing programs... hmmmm!

People should be required to have an Internet License to use the internet. KBYE

 

[MotoH]

Create limited users and let them use that one. Password protect the Admin.

 

[Pengwuino]

I would really prefer everyoen to just stay on one admin account because it's simply not convenient to setup a bunch of different accounts because the people who use it will simply whine to my mom to let them go on her account and she'll let them on and now they have access to just install whatever crap they want.

 

[rootX]

Open DNS
http://www.opendns.com/
There is a free one.

It would prevent people from going to the blocked websites/porn if you .. use parental control.

 

[Pengwuino]

Open DNS
http://www.opendns.com/
There is a free one.

It would prevent people from going to the blocked websites/porn if you .. use parental control.

I'm looking to stop programs from gettin installed, not websites being used.

 

[rootX]

I'm looking to stop programs from gettin installed, not websites being used.

Yes, but I don't think it possible to disallow only certain applications to be installed. Maybe there is a software that can do that but I doubt that.

 

[drizzle]

Let me know if there's any!

 

[story645]

I'm looking for a method that will stop a legitimate user from installing something

This is the whole theory behind limited user accounts. I use that for my grandmother and it works quite brilliantly. I know you don't want to take that route, but it's the solution to your problem and there's no software out there 'cause it's built into the OS. Just tell your mother to not let them on her account and have them take it up with you if they want to install something.

You may want to consider writing a little script that runs in the background and works on a blacklist method: when someone tries to install something on the blacklist, the script blocks the installation.

Stop Software Installation Tool 3.1.1.25-I do not vouch for this and think you should go limited or roll your own, but it exists.