Block porn and adult content with Vista’s parental controls

Children can find almost anything on the Internet. However, do they really need to be exposed to the vast amount of adult content on the net? If you’re a parent, the answer is probably no. One of the biggest concerns for many parents is how to block pornography and adult content on the home computer. Before Vista introduced new ways to block porn and adult content. The ability to filter online content was only moderately effective on Windows. However, the Windows Vista operating system has introduced a successful version of parental control features. New features allow the administrator or parents the ability to restrict areas, websites, time of use and block pornographic sites from appearing in their browser. This article will give you a quick and easy crash course on how to use parental control features and block porn effectively.

A web filter is a software option that allows you to categorically choose what online content can be accessed on your computer. The software works by banning access to sites with adult content such as specific keywords, images, files, and IP addresses. The features also prohibit these sites from loading in your web browser via a pop-up window or invitation. Vista has a Java script reader that can block porn spam and block porn ads from loading automatically while you’re online. Recent features like this give parents more control over what their children are exposed to online.

How to block pornographic websites with Vista’s web filter

1. Click the Windows button and then click “Control Panel”.

2. Under “User accounts and child protection”, click “Parental controls”.

3. Choose the account you would like to restrict.

4. Select the option labeled “On” to “apply current settings” under “Parental Controls”

5. Click the Windows Vista Web Filter link.

6. Select the “Block some websites and content” option.

7. You can set a list of “allowed” websites and use custom restrictions.

This option allows you to choose specifically which sites are accessed. You can also increase the global setting by blocking content categorically. You can do this by raising web restrictions.

1. Load the Parental Controls window by following steps 1-3 above.

2. On the left side, under the user account name, click the options next to “Web Restrictions”.

3. You can increase or decrease the restriction settings.

4. Choose custom to select which categories you would like to automatically block.

Vista options can not only block porn, but also help you control your child’s browsing time and monitor activity. You can generate a report from the Parental Controls screen by simply clicking the “view activity” link. This feature will give you a breakdown of net user activity. It can be very difficult to set time limits for your children’s Internet use. Vista makes this job a bit easier by offering the administrator the ability to set net time limits. After the set period of time has elapsed, the user will no longer be able to access the network.

1. After the Parental Control window loads, click “Time Limits”.

2. In the grid, click on any of the white “time squares” you want to constrain.

3. Turn all white “time squares” blue to turn off the internet for those times.

Is Vista’s parental control a hundred percent effective tool to block porn and filter adult content? The answer is no. However, parents’ fears can be alleviated by using these features effectively to block adult and pornographic content, monitor usage, and set time limits. There are third-party filters that also do this job more effectively. New advanced features offered by other monitoring software are emergency email notification if computer restrictions are broken, remote control of home computer from anywhere, video playback of usage time and recording of keystrokes. These are useful to fool teenagers who are usually tech-savvy or if you need to monitor your child’s email and chat. But, for younger children, you may not need these options. If you want to read about advanced monitoring software options, check out the internet security page. In general, setting up Vista’s parental controls to filter content and block porn is pretty straightforward. The system allows you to ensure that your web browsing time is safe and under your supervision.