# How do I stop these stupid Internet Explorer popups? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080 "2005-08-29T07:52:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080/1 "2005-08-29T07:52:36Z")
I run Netscape as my main browser. I wish I could get rid of Internet Explorer forever - it does nothing but cause trouble for me. Now and then, applications or folders will fail to open, or something will freeze, and the only way to get things back to normal is to go into the task manager and shut down “IEXPLORE” which has mysteriously become active. More annoying, though, are the constant Internet Explorer popups that keep coming up. My new Netscape browser does a good job of blocking popups, but it doesn’t do shit for the Internet Explorer popups that come randomly. What should I do? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080/2 "2005-08-29T08:20:05Z")
Sounds like you have spyware. Switch to [FireFox](http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) and run [AdAware](http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button) [Spybot search and destroy](http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html) [Microsoft Antispyware](http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx) ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080/3 "2005-08-29T09:08:26Z")
Yeah, sounds like adware. IE doesn’t mysteriously become active for no reason. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080/4 "2005-08-29T15:58:07Z")
Here’s the acid test – close all windows and leave your computer at the desktop. Leave it alone for several hours in that state. If when you come back there are pop-up windows, you definitely have spyware. Use the above mentioned tools to scan. However, be warned that some spyware is particularly nasty and can’t really be removed in the way that many viruses can. It’d be a good idea to back up your data now and prepare for a full system restore. And start using Firefox. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080/5 "2005-08-29T16:03:51Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > And start using Firefox. Absolutely. I used to get dozens of pop-ups every day using IE. I switche to Firefox last year and I get maybe one per month now. And when I run AdAware, I rarely ever have anything to delete. And I can’t begin to tell you how my love life has improved… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080/6 "2005-08-29T16:49:20Z")
If he’s using Netscape, he’s already pretty much using Firefox or Mozilla already. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080/7 "2005-08-29T16:51:19Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#): > > I run Netscape as my main browser. I wish I could get rid of Internet Explorer forever - it does nothing but cause trouble for me. Now and then, applications or folders will fail to open, or something will freeze, and the only way to get things back to normal is to go into the task manager and shut down “IEXPLORE” which has mysteriously become active. > > More annoying, though, are the constant Internet Explorer popups that keep coming up. My new Netscape browser does a good job of blocking popups, but it doesn’t do shit for the Internet Explorer popups that come randomly. What should I do? get firefox ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-these-stupid-internet-explorer-popups/319080/8 "2005-08-29T17:10:27Z")
Sounds like you have adware on your box. Try finding it and removing it. And also the Google Toolbar is a must with IE to stop pop-ups.