# IE help; or I can't seem to open links in a new window **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535 "2003-08-12T00:38:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/1 "2003-08-12T00:38:08Z")
As far as I know I haven’t changed any settings. I just suddenly can’t open links in a new window. Can anyone help me disable this? ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/2 "2003-08-12T00:44:38Z")
Are you running a Popup stopper of some kind? Check very closely - some of these will kill even windows that you open manually, such as when you open a link in a new browser window. What are all those icons in your tray?? ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/3 "2003-08-12T00:47:19Z")
What Operating system are you running? Have you done an IE repair from the control panel? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/4 "2003-08-12T00:48:24Z")
Yes, what **DarrenS** said. Many of them also have a bypass key, so try holding CTRL or SHIFT while clicking on a link. For your convenience, try [this one.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=203936) ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/5 "2003-08-12T00:53:47Z")
Dude, same exact thing has happened to my computers here at work… Just happened today… -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/6 "2003-08-12T01:49:46Z")
Sounds like the “msblast” worm at work again. McAfee has a little one-shot, single-purpose cleaner that will take care of this worm: [http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/](http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/). As far as I can tell, this is a freebie, and it’s small enough that you could actually download it someone else’s machine and copy it to a floppy (!) to take to your own PC. Just pay careful attention to the instructions, particularly about shutting down System Restore before scanning. Full removal instrucitons from McAfee, using their regular AV product, are here: [http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=description&virus\_k=100547](http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=description&virus_k=100547) Finally, Norton’s removal instructions begin about half-way down this page: [http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.blaster.worm.html](http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.blaster.worm.html) No need for a panicky format and reload. This is just another virus, one that can be cleaned off an infected system without submitting yourself to hours of work. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/7 "2003-08-12T14:51:57Z")
Well, I don’t know what happened, but it seems to have resolved itself. It was doing some other buggy stuff, but that seems to have stopped too. Thanks to everyone, though, and if it starts acting up again I’ll try the McAfee remover. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/8 "2003-08-12T17:21:26Z")
Yes - it’s that damn worm! Symantec’s removal tool couldn’t find it on my system, but it seems to have gone away since installing the new security patch. FTR I’m using Win2K on my Vaio. Other symptoms included not being able to move icons around, and not being able to do a defrag analysis. Lots of little icky system things. **Super** - whatever you do, even if it appears to have gone away, go to Microsoft and install the latest critical update patches for your system. ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-help-or-i-cant-seem-to-open-links-in-a-new-window/194535/9 "2003-08-12T17:27:33Z")
Super Gnat? You’ve still not said what O/S you’re using? If it’s XP or 2000… do check that you have ALL your critical updates done. In the very least… get the patch from here: [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B331953](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B331953) Why chance it?