Children can find almost anything on the Internet. However, do they really need to be exposed to a lot of adult content on the net? If you are 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 the parental control functions. The new features allow the administrator or parent the ability to restrict areas, websites, usage time, and block porn 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 prohibiting access to sites with adult content, such as keywords, images, files, and specific IP addresses. The features also prohibit these sites from loading in your web browser via a pop-up or invitation. Vista has a Java script reader that can block porn spam and prevent porn ads from loading automatically while online. Recent features like this give parents more control of their kids online.

How to block pornographic websites with Vista’s web filter

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

2. Under “User Accounts and Family Safety”, 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 up a list of “allowed” websites and use custom restrictions.

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

1. Load the parental controls window by following steps 1-3 above.

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

3. You can increase or decrease the restriction setting.

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

Not only can Vista’s options block pornography, it can also help you control your child’s browsing time and monitor activity. You can generate a report from the Parental Control screen by simply clicking the “view activity” link. This feature will give you a breakdown of the net activity of the user. It can be very difficult to set time limits for your children’s Internet use. Vista makes this job a bit easier by giving 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 loading the Parental Control window, click “Time Limits”.

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

3. Change all the white “time squares” to blue to disable the Internet for those times.

Is Vista Parental Control a 100% effective tool for blocking pornography and filtering adult content? The answer is no. However, parental 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 do this job more effectively as well. New advanced features offered by other monitoring software are emergency email notification if computer restrictions are broken, remote control of home computer from anywhere, usage time video playback and recording of keystrokes. These are useful for teasing teens who are generally 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, see the Internet security page. In general, setting Vista’s parental controls to filter content and block pornography is a breeze. The system allows you to ensure that your web browsing time is safe and under your supervision.