# IE suddenly not allowing popups, why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2006, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169 "2006-02-26T11:30:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/1 "2006-02-26T11:30:29Z")
I usually keep two different browsers open so I can check both my gmail accounts without having to sign in and out. As of a few days ago, I can’t open popups from any site on IE, but I can on Firefox. I’ve tried all the settings - allow popups from this site only, allow all popups, etc. I rebooted the computer, that didn’t help. The little icon says “popups allowed” but they’re not. It’s not a really big deal, but it’s annoying. Can anyone tell me why, and how to fix it? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/2 "2006-02-26T11:39:35Z")
Might you be running other popup blocking software without knowing it? A lot of search toolbars, for example, have integrated popup stoppers. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/3 "2006-02-26T11:46:46Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Might you be running other popup blocking software without knowing it? A lot of search toolbars, for example, have integrated popup stoppers. As far as I know, the only one I have is on the google toolbar…oh, wait. I don’t have that installed on Firefox. :smack: I must have _something_ blocking popups on Firefox…I never get unsolicited popups, at any rate. A google malfunction, maybe? I haven’t downloaded anything new, or changed any settings, in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/4 "2006-02-26T11:50:49Z")
Well, the Google Toolbar has a popup blocker. Make sure that’s disabled (instructions [here](http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/bin/answer.py?answer=9160&topic=116)). ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/5 "2006-02-26T11:54:17Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Well, the Google Toolbar has a popup blocker. Make sure that’s disabled (instructions [here](http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/bin/answer.py?answer=9160&topic=116)). Yup, it’s disabled, for all sites right now. That’s the one I’ve been changing the settings on to no avail. I checked my programs, thinking there might be another blocker I could identify and disable but I didn’t see one. Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/6 "2006-02-26T12:04:07Z")
Oh, hmm. Did you check IE’s own popup blocker? (Tools \> Internet Options \> Privacy \> Pop-up Blockser) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/7 "2006-02-26T12:17:33Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Oh, hmm. Did you check IE’s own popup blocker? (Tools \> Internet Options \> Privacy \> Pop-up Blockser) Well, I didn’t think of that - so I just checked and it’s turned off. I just tried turning it on and off, but that didn’t work. I wish it had! You’re being so helpful. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/8 "2006-02-26T12:22:36Z")
Hmm… interesting. Here’s one more thing you can try: Go to the webpage and hold down “CTRL” right before the popup is supposed to appear. If the popup is one you can initiate by clicking on a link, hold down CTRL and then click on the link. Also try the same thing with ALT and SHIFT. Those are common bypass keys that might work if there _is_ some sort of hidden popup blocker, but I don’t know if that’s actually the cause. (Note: Shift-clicking on a link in IE should open that link in a new window even without any popup blockers installed. Is this still working, at least?) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/9 "2006-02-26T12:25:42Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Hmm… interesting. Here’s one more thing you can try: Go to the webpage and hold down “CTRL” right before the popup is supposed to appear. If the popup is one you can initiate by clicking on a link, hold down CTRL and then click on the link. Also try the same thing with ALT and SHIFT. Reply, man I love ya. But that doesn’t work either, tried it. ☹ Gotta go to work. I’ll shut down the puter and maybe it’ll behave tonight…I think it hates me. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/10 "2006-02-26T12:33:25Z")
Sorry, dude. ☹ Hope someone else has a better idea. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/11 "2006-02-26T13:19:47Z")
Did you install any updates from Microsoft in the last couple of weeks? I only ask as I did, and since then I no longer get the authentication popups when using IE to access my Outlook webmail. The only solution I found was to add the webmail site to the trusted sites category in the security settings. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ie-suddenly-not-allowing-popups-why/346169/12 "2006-02-26T23:36:11Z")
> [@Crusoe](#): > > Did you install any updates from Microsoft in the last couple of weeks? No… But an update, if anyone is following this. Came back from work, turned on computer; IE decided to let me open links again. I have no clue why, but yay.