# Losing Control - Internet browser keeps opening new windows **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2000, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899 "2000-12-22T19:51:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RainbowDragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@RainbowDragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainbowDragon)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/1 "2000-12-22T19:51:44Z")
OK, I admit I am an Internet junkie. I like to visit all sorts of websites and I notice that often webpages seem to take control opening browser windows I don’t want opened. It seemed to first happen with porn sites that for every window you closed, two would open. Now I notice with more legitimate websites, these extra browser windows pop up and it gets to be annoying. For example, everytime you do an image search on [scour.com](http://scour.com), up opens an advertisement for some other site. Even my beloved [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) message board has taken to advertising toys in pop up windows. But my purpose is not to bitch, but rather to ask: Is there a way to regain control over my computer? I want ONE browser window open, not fifty. I don’t want a webpage controlling where I go and what I open. I was hoping there would be some settings in Internet Explorer, but none seem to do the trick. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/2 "2000-12-22T19:54:44Z")
In netscape, I turn off all java and javascript when viewing sites keep popping up windows. Arjuna34 ---
**Author:** ![Lowellster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Lowellster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowellster)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/3 "2000-12-22T19:57:34Z")
If you have quick fingers and used Netscape, Alt-F4 would do the trick. Don’t know the answer for IE, though. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/4 "2000-12-22T20:59:48Z")
All is not lost. There are programs out there which control popups. AnalogX had one, at one time. You’ll need to search for it and see what exists. IE will let you segregate web sites in catagories. Put trusted sites in one area, with permission to use java, and put porn/hack/crack/mp3 sites in one where they can’t. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/5 "2000-12-23T00:34:33Z")
Sure, don’t visit any more porno sites. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/6 "2000-12-23T01:17:53Z")
Quick & dirty solution: Ctrl+C. I just leave my left little finger on Ctrl and the left index finger just keeps hitting the C – as fast as they can put 'em up, I shoot 'em down. Pop! Pop! Pop! What you have to understand is that you’ve been invited to a game of Space Invaders. Test your digital dexterity and reaction time. Of course, this maneuver requires you to have both hands available. That must be why the porno sites use it so much! ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/7 "2000-12-23T01:25:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Saint Zero \* > **All is not lost. There are programs out there which control popups. AnalogX had one, at one time. You’ll need to search for it and see what exists.** Yup, POW! works really well. [http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pow.htm](http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pow.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/8 "2000-12-23T05:41:49Z")
The reason for annoying pop-ups, AFAIK, is that they have advertising on them which changes every minute or so. The sites, of course, get paid for each view. If they shoot up multitudes of windows, they expect you to try and close them. But you may have noticed that there are always really small windows, that sometimes default to the background. The sites are counting on you missing one or more windows, so the ads keep rotating behind your browser window without your knowledge. They really don’t give a crap whether you read the ads or not, as long as they have stats to show their advertisers. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/9 "2000-12-23T06:37:50Z")
A little easier than multi-key combinations, if you can hit [escape] quickly enough, it’ll stop loading the page, hopefully before it gets to the code which tells it what to do when you close the next window. If they’re coming up maximized, you can also alternate escape with the left hand and clicking the button with the right (it’ll always be in the same place if maximized). It also helps to have a slow processor and/or Internet connection, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/10 "2000-12-23T06:44:41Z")
To those who mentioned/linked to AnalogX, **thank you**. #1 on my IE and Netscape wishlist is an option to turn off pop-up windows while retaining JavaScript and Java support. Neoplanet does it (or at least, did it), but the rest of their browser was too buggy for me. Yes, I know they piggy-back on IE’s engine, but the GUI was the buggy part. Anyway, let me give AnalogX a try. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/11 "2000-12-23T15:21:11Z")
If you use a closer program, you might miss important annoucements or requests for information when you buy something. ---
**Author:** ![RainbowDragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@RainbowDragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainbowDragon)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/12 "2000-12-23T15:51:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\* > If you use a closer program, you might miss important annoucements or requests for information when you buy something. \*\* POW! will not close a window until you tell it to. If a pop up comes up and it is obvious advertisement, you tell POW! to close such windows in the future. So a request for information or important info as stated above would not be automatically closed unless you tell POW! that this type of window needs to be shut down automatically. Thanks for recommending POW! I installed it and it works great at keeping the pop up windows at bay. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/13 "2000-12-24T04:59:58Z")
The only good popup is one that never pops up. I use the browser Netcaptor, which features a Popup Captor. It blocks any site you put on the list from even showing up on any window, which is valuable when you know of sites that upload viruses or crashes your computer. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/14 "2000-12-24T07:29:46Z")
Do you have a link for Netcaptor? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/15 "2000-12-24T13:03:49Z")
Sorry, by mistake I posted the wrong keystroke combination for closing windows. It should have been **Ctrl+W**. How come none of you guys caught that & called me on it? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/16 "2000-12-24T16:25:48Z")
“How come none of you guys caught that & called me on it?” We don’t have your phone number. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/17 "2000-12-25T02:33:18Z")
There sometimes called mousetraps. Turning off all java scripting will stop it, but you’ll also lose alot of useful fuctionality doing that. Like Handy said, just stay away from porn sites. They’re the only ones who do it. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/18 "2000-12-25T02:40:32Z")
**Hail Ants** , what kind of browsing do you do? Geocities is a known offender with popups. As is [xoom.com](http://xoom.com). In fact, plenty of websites that depend on ads do it. Porn sites by no means have a monopoly on popup windows. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/19 "2000-12-26T22:57:52Z")
Yeah, Geocities popups are annoying. But they’re not like the ones the porn sites use. Porn sites (ahem, so I’m told anyway) will often open 4,5,6 or more **full sessions of your browser!** And when you close them 4 or 5 more just open up again! The legit sites’ ads aren’t nearly this bad. They open one ad and it closes with one click. But hey, you don’t like it, go to Russia… ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-control-internet-browser-keeps-opening-new-windows/46899/20 "2000-12-26T23:59:53Z")
I HATE this. I don’t know if I should post the web site or not. A dot com recently made changes to my registry. Changed my default search engine, my default start page,and a bunch of other shit. I thought I’d never get it cleaned up! This company would add a banner to the top of all my web pages (and spawn new sessions as well) so at first I didn’t notice it. For example, my start page was [msn.com](http://msn.com), now msn was still my start page, but it had an extra layer on top. What I don’t know is how it happened. By looking at History, it seems as though my son and friends have hit a few porno sites. I’m assuming that’s it.