Content Advisor is missing or invalid

• Click with the right mouse button on the icon labelled THE INTERNET.
• Click on the Security tab.
• Click on the SETTINGS Button in the CONTENT ADVISOR section.
• You will be prompted for a password. If you chose one, enter it and click OK, if not, leave it blank and click OK.
• For each of the options, Language, Nudity, Sex and Violence, move the slider bar away from its original setting and back to that setting again.
• After all four have been changed, click APPLY and then OK.
• Click OK on the properties dialogue.
• When IE is run again, it will not give you the content advisor message.

Content advisor won't allow you to see the site

If you are in Internet Explorer and have content advisor turned on then when you try to access a site that has not been rated, sometimes you will be prompted for a password or be told that content advisor will not allow you to see the site. This can be fixed by the following.

• Click on the View menu in Internet Explorer.
• Click on Options.
• Click on the Security Tab.
• Click on the Settings button.
• You will be prompted for a password. If you remember entering a password for IE, enter it here, if you didn't, just click OK leaving the password blank. If it doesn't let you proceed to the content advisor screen, see the final fix.
• Once in the content advisor screen, click on the general tab along the top of the window. Insert a tick in the "Users can see sites which have no rating" option.
• Click OK.
• Click OK on the next window.
• Now try and refresh the page. Content advisor will allow it to open.

Content Advisor prompts you for a password that you have not entered, or cannot recall entering into it.

NOTE: Before editing the Registry, it is always advisable to back your Registry settings up before editing.

• Click on the Start button.
• Click Run
• Type Regedit and click OK.
• Click on the Hkey_Local_Machine folder.
• Click on the software folder.
• Click on the Microsoft folder.
• Click on the windows folder.
• Click on the current version folder.
• Click on the policies folder.
• Click on the ratings folder.
• Highlight "key" in right window and delete.
• Click on the file menu and choose exit.
• Restart the computer.
• When restarts go to Properties on IE again.
• Select the security tab.
• Click on disable ratings.
• Click on OK without entering anything when prompted for a password.
• Click on OK when warned that Content Advisor has been disabled.

How to Fix Problems with Content Advisor Missing Information

In most cases, this problem occurs when the Ratings.pol file is damaged, follow the instructions below to fix this issue.

• Quit Internet Explorer
• Open My Computer, click on Tools, Folder Options
• Click on the View tab and make sure "Show hidden files and folders" is selected, you may also want to uncheck the box next to "Hide extensions for known file types" and click Ok
• Double click on Drive C in My Computer
• Double click on the Windows folder and then double click on the System folder
• Search for the file RATINGS.POL and right click on it and choose Rename. Rename it to RATINGS.OLD
• Close out of the open Windows and then reopen Internet Explorer
• Click on Tools, Internet Options
• Click on the Content tab, then click on Settings
• Type in the Supervisor password if necessary and click Ok
• Select the Ratings options you would like and click Ok and close out of Internet Explorer
• When you reopen Internet Explorer, everything should work.