Just bought a new (to me) PC that the kids will also use, aged 7 and 9.

I need to put some sort of netnanny software on to prevent them accessing stuff they shouldn’t. It has Windows Essentials / Windows Live but it won’t let me set controls up with that because the PC has already been registered before for its previous owner.

So – any recommendations for a basic, free, non-shonky monitoring / blocking software that’ll work with Windows?

Set up users for each user, all non-admin.
if you can, use OpenDNS as a start, but nothing is 100% apart from watching what they do.

Doesn’t that do it at router level though? I want to block them, but not block access to all sites when grown ups are using the PC.

Doesn’t that do it at router level though?

Yes, I guess it depends on your surfing habits as to whether this is a problem.
The advantage is that it will work when your children get phones, tablets etc.

Enable the content settings in IE is a good start but to be honest the only real way is to watch them or install a proper web filter.

From a techie mate with small children, verbatim:

Great answer for those non-techie parents that ask what to do about filtering:

https://dns.norton.com/dnsweb/dnsForHome.do

Basically 3 levels of filtering, just choose dns server to suit, nothing more complicated than router config.

(Yes, client level is better or open dns accounts etc, but you know you’ll explain these at length and they will never use them. At least these are simple and will stop consoles etc- it’s an easy answer for us and a “better than nothing” answer for them)

Have a look at bluecoat K9 software. Not sure it works on Win 8 though, if that’s what you have.

I read somewhere about routers that broadcast 2 Wifi networks, one you can lock down for kids.

Anyone used one? Any recommendations?