# Pop-up ad & virus

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-ad-virus/192335>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 1, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-ad-virus/192335 "2003-08-01T12:31:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ardrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ardrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ardrine)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-ad-virus/192335/1 "2003-08-01T12:31:23Z")

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My Dad clicked on a pop-up that said something like “get rid of pop-ups” and his virus software told him a virus was trying to get onto his machine.

I told him to update his virus checker and run it, but does anyone know what this might have been? Is there anything else he should do?

Oh, and I also suggested he get himself software to block pop-ups - what’s the best for that kind of thing?

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**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-ad-virus/192335/2 "2003-08-01T12:52:21Z")

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The newest version (might still be beta) Google Toolbar has a good pop-up stopper built in. Before that, I used the free version of Pop-Up Stopper available at [www.panicware.com](http://www.panicware.com)

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**Author:** ![milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milk_milk_lemonade)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-ad-virus/192335/3 "2003-08-01T12:59:37Z")

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Ad Subtract is brilliant.

See here:

[www.adsubtract.com/](http://www.adsubtract.com/)

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**Author:** ![Ardrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ardrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ardrine)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-ad-virus/192335/4 "2003-08-01T14:25:25Z")

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Thanks for the advice.