# Firefox pop-up ads **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 11, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110 "2009-05-11T23:59:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/1 "2009-05-11T23:59:57Z")
How do I keep Firefox from popping up those insipid ads every fifteen minutes or so? I don’t mind having ads when I’m in a site, I understand this. But these ads pop up at random over any sites I might be in. Is this the curse of Firefox? How long before Microsoft starts popping up ads in Explorer? It ain’t right I tell ya. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/2 "2009-05-12T00:03:42Z")
Firefox does not cause ads to pop up. You are either visiting sites with many popup ads, or have some spyware installed. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/3 "2009-05-12T00:05:31Z")
Seconded. The browser itself does not cause pop-ups, it is merely the medium through which the pop-ups are manifest. Hie thee to a pop-up blocker. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/4 "2009-05-12T00:25:36Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > Is this the curse of Firefox? I’ll third the same thing. Firefox does not cause pop ups. It’s spyware. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/5 "2009-05-12T01:27:07Z")
'K, I’m off to Spyware blocker. Err… where do I get a spyware blocker?? ::embarased:: ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/6 "2009-05-12T01:46:49Z")
In Firefox, under your preferences or options menu, click on the “content” icon. The first item is “block pop-up windows.” Is that checked or unchecked? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/7 "2009-05-12T02:17:39Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > 'K, I’m off to Spyware blocker. > > Err… where do I get a spyware blocker?? ::embarased:: [Ad Aware](http://www.lavasoft.com/) Free. It should work pretty well. Try Spybot Search and Destroy as well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/8 "2009-05-12T05:50:29Z")
Also install the extensions: [Adblock Plus](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865) with: [Adblock Plus Filter Uploader](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4042) Also: [No Script](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722) and [Flashblock](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433) You will have to train Flashblock and NoScript but it is simple enough. ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/9 "2009-05-12T07:34:16Z")
> [@Myglaren](#): > > Also install the extensions: > [Adblock Plus](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865) > with: > [Adblock Plus Filter Uploader](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4042) > Also: > [No Script](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722) > and > [Flashblock](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433) > > You will have to train Flashblock and NoScript but it is simple enough. Most users won’t need 2), and no one needs 4) if 3) is installed. NoScript blocks Flash just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/10 "2009-05-12T18:44:58Z")
Thanks, all. I’m trying your suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/11 "2009-05-12T19:20:32Z")
The Ad Block Plus extension is all I have and it works fine for me. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/12 "2009-05-12T21:17:40Z")
Just an observation that you should probably clean up the problem in addition to installing the aforementioned extensions. As others have indicated, given that you are getting the popups “at random”, you quite likely have some spyware or other nasties floating around your system. They could be doing other fun stuff in addition to giving you random popups. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-pop-up-ads/496110/13 "2009-05-12T21:23:28Z")
I’ve run Spybot, it worked for a while, then I started getting Pop-ups again. I just loaded NoScript, and it seems to be exactly what I need. It blocks everything! This is probably just what I need. THANKS ALL!