The NAPLAN Locked Down Browser
The NAPLAN Locked Down Browser (or LDB) is required to be installed in order to participate in NAPLAN testing. It can be installed from the ACARA website.
If you are unable to install the NAPLAN LDB, this is often due to the presence of Microsoft Family settings, or the lack of administrator access rights for the student's user account. These are not issues that can be corrected by IT staff at the school; it must be done at home, by the user with the administrator access rights needed to make the changes.
To install the NAPLAN LDB:
- Navigate to the ACARA website and download the application, either the Windows or Mac version as appropriate.
- Run the downloaded file, and follow the prompts, to complete the install.
Once it is installed, there should be a purple NAPLAN 2025 icon on the desktop (if a Windows laptop), or a green NAPLAN 2025 icon in Launchpad (if an Apple laptop).
Microsoft Family Settings removal
You may either remove Microsoft Family entirely, or only the restrictions. Please note that leaving Microsoft Family in place may lead to other issues with access to curriculum content.
Go to https://family.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft account.
To remove a student from Microsoft Family:
- Click the three dots next to the student's name and select Remove consent for this child's account.
- Once consent is removed, navigate back to the family group, and select Remove from family group to complete removal.
- Turn on the student BYOX device and connect to the internet. If you are asked, verify your account to continue using Microsoft Family Features, please do so and confirm the student and any BYOX devices no longer show up in the Family portal at https://family.microsoft.com.
To remove app restrictions:
- Click on the student's name.
- Select Apps and games, and then turn off the 'App and game limits' toggle, or click on Unblock App as appropriate.
To remove web content filtering restrictions:
- Click the three dots next to the student's name and select Go to overview.
- Select Edge as a platform.
- Turn off the Filter inappropriate websites and searches toggle.
- Ensure that Only use allowed websites is turned off.
- (Optional) You may wish to block some websites by adding them directly under Blocked Sites.
Microsoft Family is constantly updating and changing. The most current instructions can be found by searching for Getting Started with Family Safety at the Microsoft Support site, which can be found at https://support.microsoft.com/en-au.
Adding Administrator rights to a student account
The account the student uses to log into the laptop must be a local Administrator in order for the NAPLAN Locked Down Browser to be installed.
For Windows 10 devices:
- Login as a user with Administrator privileges.
- Under Settings > Accounts > Family & other users, select the account owner name, then select Change account type.
- Under Account type, select Administrator and OK to Sign in with the new administrator account.
For Windows 11 devices:
- Login as a user with Administrator privileges.
- Select Start > Settings > Accounts
- Under Family & other users, select the account owner name (you should see "Local account" below the name), then select Change account type.
- Under Account type, select Administrator, and then select OK.
For Apple / MacOS devices:
- Log in as user with Administrator privileges.
- On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Users & Groups.
- Click the lock icon to unlock it, then enter an administrator name and password.
- Select a standard user or managed user in the list of users, then select “Allow user to administer this computer."