With Internet Explorer for Windows, how can I reset my forgotten Content Advisor password?

With Content Advisor, Internet Explorer provides a way to help you control the types of content that your computer can access on the Internet. A supervisor password, set when Content Advisor is first enabled, prevents the settings from being altered by a restricted user.

However, this can prove troublesome if you have forgotten the supervisor password and need to alter the settings or disable the function. For instance, in some cases web content may be unnecessarily restricted, and you may wish to correct the problem. Also, if the Content Advisor ratings system file, RSACi.rat, becomes corrupted, Internet Explorer may repeatedly crash. Without the supervisor password, disabling Content Advisor is difficult.

Warning: This document contains instructions for editing the registry. If you make any error while editing the registry, you can potentially cause Windows to fail or be unable to boot, requiring you to reinstall Windows. Edit the registry at your own risk. Always back up the registry before making any changes. For information, see In Windows 2000, XP, and Vista, how do I back up the registry? If you do not feel comfortable editing the registry, do not attempt these instructions. Instead, seek the help of a computing support provider.

You can reset the supervisor password by editing your Windows registry. To do this:

1. Make sure Internet Explorer is closed. In Windows 7 and Vista, enter regedit in the Start menu's Search field. In XP and 2000, click Start, and then Run... , and enter regedit .
   
   
2. In the window that appears, double-click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
   
   
3. Find and double-click Software. In the list of software types, double-click Microsoft.
   
   
4. Double-click Windows, and then Current version.
   
   
5. Double-click Policies, and then Ratings.
   
   
6. In the column on the right, click Key to select it, and then either press Del or right-click the selected Key and select delete from the drop-down menu.
   
   
7. Confirm the deletion when prompted, and exit the window.

The Content Advisor password has now been reset. Restart the computer before continuing any further.

To disable the Content Advisor:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
   
   
2. In Internet Explorer 5 or above, from the Tools menu, select Internet Options... . In earlier versions, from the View menu, select Internet Options... .
   
   
3. Select the Content tab.
   
   
4. Under "Content Advisor", click Disable... . Click OK when prompted for a password, leaving the password field blank. The Content Advisor is now disabled.
   
   
5. Click OK until you return to Internet Explorer.

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