How to Block Adult Sites & Pop-ups on a PC

By Ed Oswald

Blocking pornography and pop-ups is a good idea on any PC used by children.
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Internet users with young children should install some type of content-filtering system on their home PCs. Without any type of filtering software, children may be able to access adult content that the parent may prefer the child not see. Along with content filtering, it is also a good idea to block pop-ups. Not only are they an annoyance, but malware may be delivered through this method when visiting a seemingly innocuous website.

Step 1

Purchase and/or download content-filtering software (see Resources) and install it on the machine you wish to filter content on. Once installed, launch the application and configure the filtering options to your liking. Consult the application's help files for instructions on how to change the settings, as they will vary from application to application.

Step 2

Block adult content entirely if the PC is accessible by children. Check the browser history to see if any objectionable sites are being visited, and block those sites from being viewed on the PC as well during this process. In Internet Explorer, hold the "Ctrl" key and press the "H" key. The history will appear. In Firefox, hold down the "Ctrl" and "Shift" keys and press "H." Make note of any adult sites.

Step 3

Set the computer to block any website from the ".xxx" domain. The domain was approved in June 2010 for use by pornographic websites, and is expected to see heavy use. By blocking this entire domain now, you will prevent the need to change the settings of your content filter later. Refer to your content-filtering software's documentation on "blocking domains" for the instructions on using this feature.

Step 4

Update your web browser, if necessary. Modern browsers include pop-up blockers that are turned on by default. In Internet Explorer, click "Tools," then "Pop-up blocker settings" to change the settings. For Firefox, click "Tools," "Options" and the "Content" tab.

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