I maintain a couple of web sites that have links that open new windows using JavaScript commands. Are these considered pop-ups by the pop-up blocker programs? Or are the only things blocked windows that are not brought up by the user’s request?
I need to know if I should switch from opening a new window to reusing the current window for these links.
Most popup blockers would block new browser windows not opened by the user. Some block ALL new browser windows unless the user holds down a certain key while clicking a link.
Normally, clicking a link that opens a window works fine with pop-up blockers. Sometimes (and I don’t know how or why), a particular fancy website will be unable to open the new window unless I specifically give permission to the whole domain.
On mine, when a popup is blocked, I get a teensy tag saying so. If I hold down the Ctrl key while left-clicking again, the new window is allowed, but it doesn’t give blanket permission to the whole domain.
Mine too. I use the free version of Pop-Up Stopper which can be found here. It will block almost all new windows (there are a few websites which seem to have found a way around this utility) unless you hold down CTRL which allows all windows to open. Once you get used to it, it becomes second nature.
My popup blockers blocks windows that are opened by clicking on a Flash animation. This can be annoying sometimes, but it’s easy to disable the blocker for a moment so I can click on the link, and then re-enable the blocker after the new window comes up.
It also beeps any time it blocks something, which is quite helpful.
Google’s toolbar is the best pop=up blocker I’ve ever used. I haven’t seen one pop-up ad yet, while it hasn’t blocked any pop-ups I required (without any user input). Brilliant.
I second the use of Google’s new toolbar. I can’t think of the last time I needed to hold down CTRL to see a pop-up window that I needed to see. After a week, I uninstalled Pop-up Stopper for good.
It’s at http://toolbar.google.com